Sucked into the Vortex
by lydiarmarks
Summary: After Max sacrificed Chloe and things went back to normal in Arcadia Bay, she just tried to be normal. When Victoria realizes that Max might actually not be so bad, she tries to make friends and invites Max on a weekend get away with some other people in the Vortex Club. This is basically the story of how the two become friends. This is a story I already posted on Ao3.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Max's POV

Monday, November 16th, 2013, 6:53am

After Chloe died I went on with my life. I mean, my world did stop spinning for a little while. About a month passed before I could really get myself back into the swing of things in a semi normal way. We had a temporary substitute in Jefferson's class since he got arrested, so my photography class was basically study hall for awhile. Needless to say, I had a hard time readjusting to normal life, along with the stuff that came along with it.

Things had changed quite a bit from the week I had experienced with Chloe before everything that happened. The police came, taking Nathan and I to the station for questioning. So the paint thing with Victoria didn't happen because I wasn't there. I spent most of that day being questioned by the police and them asking me if I need to see a therapist. I just told them that I would be fine. They let me go back to Blackwell that afternoon, even though they didn't believe me, there was nothing they could really do to keep me there.

Kate didn't try to kill herself because Victoria took down the video when she found out that Nathan drugged her and I went to talk to her right after I got back from the police station. She's been a lot happier since then.

As that week went on and as a month passed, I thought a lot about my powers. I had sworn never to use them again to prevent something like what happened with Chloe from ever happening again. It took some time, but I finally got used to thinking before I made my decisions again. That week helped me realize just how time meant and how every moment was important. So I let them pass away as they came, letting time flow the way it was meant to.

After that hellish week, Victoria had actually started being somewhat decent to me. Chloe being shot and Nathan getting arrested, she had almost acted like a completely different person. I had never denied my feelings for Victoria, even when I first discovered them. I had always known that denying how I felt about her wouldn't help me or anyone else. Instead, I just tried to ignore it as best as I could. If I never pursued it, then it would never affect anyone except for me and that's how things were supposed to be when it came to secretly crushing on the most powerful girl in the whole school. Not to mention the fact that she would never feel the same way about me. Even if she did, it would never go anywhere because, like I said, being the most powerful girl in Arcadia Bay was very important to her and hipster trash like me would mess up her reputation. Not to mention the fact that being gay wasn't exactly cool here.

In places like LA, being gay was accepted by most and was even considered to be a cool trait by certain people my own age and the younger generations. Unfortunately, Arcadia Bay hadn't exactly caught up yet. Don't get me wrong, there were people in same sex relationships here, but they were hidden and not very open about it. Before everything went to shit during that week, Chloe told me that her and Rachel had actually just started having sex and were going to run away to LA so that their relationship could be out in the open. So, as you can probably imagine, she was furious when she found out that Rachel had also been sleeping with Frank.

I had never met Rachel, but I knew that she never would've promised anything to Chloe unless she meant it. That's just something that someone like Rachel would never do. Plus, the thought made me angry and I had always told myself that being angry with the dead only made you miss them more. Then I'd just sit up all night wondering why Rachel didn't love Chloe enough to only be in a relationship with her, even though I knew that Rachel wouldn't have been in two relationships if she didn't really care about both of those people. Plus, it wasn't my place to judge, me practically being a murderer and almost ripping apart an entire city and all that.

It was early in the morning on a Monday, so all I wanted to do was slam my phone into the wall to turn off the alarm, but I got up to shower instead. Getting my shower stuff together and grabbing my pale blue towel, I walked out into the hall wearing a pair of striped shorts and a t shirt that said _**I Never Get Tired of Puns**_. I mean, it was true. That's why it was my pajama shirt. I could hear Kate playing her violin already. It was a soft, sad sort of sound that made my heart clench inside my chest, like it was trying to protect itself from the tears that it knew I would shed at the sound of Kate's own recovery.

I walked past her room and into the showers where I was surprised to see Victoria standing in front of a sink, brushing her teeth. She was sort of vulnerable looking with the brush in her mouth, white minty foam on her lips.

 _I wonder what kissing her would taste like after she just brushed her teeth_ , I wondered. Shaking my head to clear it, I pressed on and stepped into the closest shower, not waiting to see if she had looked at me or not. I took my shower and got dressed again, walking out to see Victoria still standing in front of the sink, but instead she was turned around, facing me as I walked out of the shower. I jumped a little, stopping in my tracks, suddenly very aware that I was in my pajamas and had just been entirely naked. Her dark green eyes were piercing into my mind like daggers, or alien probing devices, but she didn't have her usual sneer. She was just… Looking at me? Why was she looking at me like that?

I couldn't tell what she was thinking, so it just looked like an empty stare. It made my insides tie themselves up inside me and I wanted to run away, but I couldn't move. So I just stood there, staring back at her with red cheeks and burning ears. God, why was she looking at me like that?

"How are you?" she asked, crossing her right leg over her left one as she leaned back against the sink. I must have been thinking more than she had been staring at me because the way she was asked me sounded like she had just noticed me and hadn't been looking me over for the past eternity and a half.

"What?" I asked before I could think. Damnit, Max. You couldn't have something semi human sounding? Like thanks, I'm good or something like that? Victoria let out a sigh and ran her delicate fingers through her bright blond hair. It looked like it was damp from a shower she had taken earlier.

"I asked you how you were doing," she replied impatiently. "Like how you were feeling about all of the shit that happened." I paused, unsure of what to say next. I was curious as to why she was asking and felt more inclined to ask her than to answer her question. I decided to just do both instead.

"I'm alright," I lied a little. I was alright, better than I had been, but I still felt pretty shiity overall. "Why do you ask?" She let out a scoff and rolled her eyes, grinning just a little like I had asked her the stupidest question in the world.

"What, I can't be nice to nasty hipsters?" It sounded less like her usual insults and more like a joke. At least, that's what I thought, but one could never be sure of Victoria's intentions in these situations.

"It's just sort of out of character for you to be nice is all," I retorted, shifting my weight from one foot to another. I had my arms crossed over my chest, holding my towel and shower bag close to me. I almost used them like a shield to hide from her gaze. Almost like I was afraid that she would stab me in the heart with her eyes. Victoria just let out a sigh and shrugged.

"Maybe I'm trying to be nicer," she said softly, almost like she didn't want to say it. She wasn't looking at me anymore. She was acting like her nails were suddenly the most interesting things in the world. Her words caught me off guard. I had expected her to blow me off or start insulting me, but instead she actually _admitted_ to trying to be nice to me. Not just some random student, but _me_ , Max Caulfield, designated polaroid loving, hipster garbage of Arcadia Bay.

"Why?" Again, the word get away before I can catch it. It weighs in the air like a brick, falling to the ground as it was spoken. Victoria paused, still not looking at me. She shrugged again, almost like she was the one withering underneath someone's gaze now instead of me. I almost felt a sense of satisfaction from it, but I pushed it away, not wanting to spoil this rare moment. After a long pause, she looked up at me with a small but genuine smile.

"Because maybe I actually wanna be friends."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Victoria's POV

Monday, November 16th, 2013, 6:30am

The music was pounding around me, the bass vibrating through my entire body and echoing in my chest. I wasn't drunk, but I was dancing. I usually didn't dance unless I had had a few drinks. The sound of the music and people around me made me want to move and I couldn't stop myself. The lights were all dim and blinking between colors and light and dark as the music took control of my body. I had no idea that I was dancing alone until I saw a pair of brilliant blue eyes watching me from across the dance floor.

Maxine Caulfield, stupid freckles and baggy sweater and all, standing against a wall about ten feet away from me. Her messy brown hair was somewhat tame tonight as she watched me, her eyes glued to my body. I felt a strange tingling in my stomach and felt shivers travel through me. I suddenly realized that I didn't want her to look away from me, so I moved my hips back and forth, arms over my head as my hands met somewhere above me. I took my eyes off of her for a moment to look at the ground and then back up to her.

It was almost as if I couldn't control myself. All I wanted was for her to come dance with me, to put her hands on my hips and move with me to the loud music. When my eyes met hers again, I winked and bit my bottom lip a little, pointing at her and beckoning her to come toward me with my index finger. I knew that if anyone saw me dancing with her my reputation would be shattered like old glass, leaving everything I had worked so hard for in dust and shards of bitter regret, but I didn't care just then. All I wanted was Max. Her eyes, her lips, her hands, the touch of her skin on mine.

When I motioned to her she blushed for a moment before walking toward me, a new confident stride in her step. God she was hot when she walked like that. She knew she was in control and it made my heart race a little. She was the only person to stand up against all the shit I gave her and I used to hate her for it, but in that moment all I could do was wish that she would take control and use me however she wanted.

When she reached me, she took a slow step toward me, putting both hands on my hips. I couldn't help grinning at her, putting my arms around her neck, lacing my fingers together behind her head. I moved to the beat of the music. Faded by Alan Wake, Northern Light Remix. It was an amazing song that always made me want to dance. Max took another step toward me, our body connecting and moving together. She was looking me up and down with a hint of a smirk on her lips. When our eyes met, she got real close and whispered into my ear.

"You're gorgeous, Tori." The breath from her words tickled my ear, sending shivers down my spine and filling my stomach with butterflies. I felt like I was melting under her touch as her hips moved with mine. Her hands were gripping my top, pulling me close. All I could do was let out a soft sigh in reply, quivering as her hand moved up my side and to my back as she pulled me close. I was slightly taller than her, by about an inch or two. She looked up at me and I couldn't break away from her gaze. I could barely breath let alone speak.

Max grinned and started to lean in, getting so close to me that I thought our bodies might combine to create a whole new human being. Like those legends that talked about soulmates. We would become one and be even more powerful than the gods. The thought made my heart ache, making me want to be closer. I closed the gap between us, locking my lips with hers.

I felt like my body was being slowly set ablaze by her touch. I grabbed onto Max's hair, gripping it gently but tugged at it a little to show that I was serious. She wrapped her arms around my waist, her fingers gripping at my top. Goddamn it, why was this so good? Why did I want this so much? When she pulled away, I found myself craving more. The kiss wasn't enough. I had denied these feelings for long enough. I wanted Max more than I had ever wanted anything or anyone in my entire life and I wanted her now.

She must've seen the fire in my eyes because I could see my feelings reflected in her brilliant blue gaze. What I wouldn't give to just fall into those eyes and never have to come up for air. I wanted to be something those eyes looked at and craved more than anything else. Max smiled a little, taking my hand and motioning her head toward the door. I felt my heart race so fast that I could've run all the way to New York and back if I wanted to. I nodded and squeezed her hand once in reply.

We got back to my dorm and locked the door, suddenly shedding clothes faster than I could realize. Hot kisses made their presence known on my lips, along my neck and chest. Max was in charge now, completely in control, but we were also in sync, like our bodies were made for one another. We made it to my bed and she got on top of me, starting to slow things down. Looking into my eyes, she must've seen my desperate expression. I was all anticipation, like it was filling my whole body with fire.

Max kissed my lips softly, tracing her fingers down the side of my face. She kissed my cheek, my jaw, my neck, making her way down to my chest. Every touch made my whole body quiver and I couldn't help the small moans that escaped me. Her fingers were making their way down my stomach as she kissed down my sternum.

Every part of me was on fire, I thought I was melting, the entire world started to blur as Max made her way down and started doing things to me that I had never let anyone else before. I could feel pressure building inside of me, filling me up until I thought I was going to burst at the siems.

It was all fire and building and building until finally -

I was awoken by the loud blaring of my alarm and an odd sensation down south. I sat up and grabbed my phone, shutting off the alarm. I laid back down on my bed with a long, deep sigh.

 _I can't believe I just had a wet dream about Max Caulfield_ , I thought, rubbing my face to help wake me up. I sat up in my bed again and ran my fingers through my hair, looking around my room. There was no one there. No Max, no music, no clothes scattered across the floor. Just me and an ache in my chest.

"Just a dream," I told myself, getting out of bed. I pushed the ache deep down, hoping that it would just go away. I grabbed my shower bag and a towel and walked out of my room after fixing my hair a little in my mirror. Wouldn't want to walk out there as a complete mess. Plus, if your hair looked ok then it helped the rest of you to look ok.

Regaining some composure, I walked out of my dorm and down the hall to the showers. There was no one else around, but that didn't stop me from putting on my best bitch face and taking large, dominating steps. All I could really do was hope that I didn't look like I was trying too hard, even though everyone else was still asleep.

I walked into the shower room and immediately went into one of the showers, taking the fastest shower I had ever taken in my life. I just had this strange feeling that someone was going to walk in at any moment and I didn't want to be naked when they did. I had never been a big fan of the whole communal shower thing. I wanted my own shower where I didn't have to worry about how gross it was or who else had been in there or what they had been doing, but I had started getting a little bit used to it.

After a seven minute shower, I dried off, put my soft pink, silk pajamas back on and walked out of the stall. My hair was still a little damp, but that would help me brush it out. I spent a few minutes on my hair, knowing that I would have to redo it when I got dressed anyway and moved on to brushing my teeth. Right in the middle of this process, the door swung open next to me and someone walked in. I didn't look up from what I was doing, deciding that ignoring someone was safer than looking right at them when I was in this state. I was somewhat vulnerable and I didn't want to make eye contact with any other living being. Whoever it was froze for a moment, their footsteps stopping when they saw me. Then, a second later, they kept moving, going toward the shower right behind me. As they made their way over to it, I looked up at the mirror to see Max's profile in the mirror. She had her eyes down, her towel pressed against her.

I felt my stomach drop when I saw her and, for a moment at least, I couldn't take my eyes off her as she closed the shower curtain. All the feelings I'd experienced during my dream were coming back, flooding my mind and body all over again. I felt myself quiver before regaining control of myself.

 _You're so pathetic!_ I thought to myself, gripping the edges of the sink as I spat out my toothpaste. _She's just a person! Calm the hell down._ But I couldn't. My heart was racing in my chest at the thought of her hands all over me, using me the way she wanted, my entire body responding to her will. I cursed under my breath and grabbed my hairbrush, trying to focus on anything but the fact that Caulfield was just behind that curtain, totally naked.

 _STOP!_ I let out a sigh and set my brush down, washing my face.

I don't know what it was, but for some reason I had developed a massive crush on that stupid hipster after she saved Kate. It only got worse after Nathan got arrested. I didn't have him around to convince me of how stupid Max was and how pathetic and dumb I was for thinking of her as anything more than trash.

But Max wasn't trash. She was beautiful and smart and talented and so sweet it made me want to vomit, but I loved it. I wanted to kiss her and play with her hair and snuggle with her and watch anime and all that stupid mushy shit. But she would never feel the same way and my position in the social ranks would never allow anything to happen between us. Plus, my parents would kill me if they found out I was dating a girl. Or worse, they'd use it as an advertisement for some gallery opening and make my sexuality so painfully obvious that the few things I had that were still a secret would finally be out in the eye of the public.

Plus, Max deserved better than me. She deserved someone that would treat her well and not insult her at every chance they got. She was too good for me and I knew that, but for some reason thinking of her with anyone else made me want to punch someone. I finished washing my face and heard the water turn off in Max's shower. I had my things packed up and was about to leave when she walked out from behind the curtain.

I was frozen where I stood, unable to breathe let alone move. Fuck, I was staring at her, looking at her up and down. Reading her stupid pun shirt and feeling actually amused! Damn Max and her puns! I had to say something. Anything. Anything would be better right now than this silence. As I looked up and down her body, I noticed her pull her towel close, like she was guarding herself from me. Was I scaring her? I felt something soften inside me and remembered everything that Max had gone through recently. How her friend died because Nathan, one of my best friends, killed her right in front of Max.

 _Damn it, Nate. You couldn't have done anything much worse than that._

I met her eyes again and tried to look more confident than I felt.

"How are you?" I asked her, leaning back against the sink and crossing one leg over the other. Max got that wide eyed look on her face, the one she always got when someone surprised her or pulled her back to earth from her thoughts. It was one of the most adorable things I had ever seen, but I pushed that down too.

"What?" She asked, her voice cracking a little. I bit back a laugh at the sound, running my fingers through my hair like I was frustrated, but really I was just trying to cover whatever remnants of a smile managed to make their way onto my lips.

"I asked you how you were doing," I repeated, my voice coming out a little sharper than I meant it to. She could be frustrating sometimes, her stupid blue eyes looking at me like I had just grown another head. "Like how you were feeling about all of the shit that happened." I continued. She paused, eyeing me suspiciously.

"I'm alright," she said. She was lying, I could tell by the way she shifted her weight from one foot to the next and looked away for a split second. "Why do you ask?" I couldn't help scoffing, rolling my eyes at the way she said it. She acted like I was going to hurt her. I mean, I don't blame her, I wasn't exactly the type to ask people how they were feeling about anything. I wanted to say something nice, but something sarcastic made its way to my lips first.

"What, I can't be nice to nasty hipsters?" It didn't have as much bite to it as I wanted it to, though. I didn't want anyone thinking I was a softy for someone like Max, especially not Max herself.

"It's just sort of out of character for you to be nice is all," she said in that snarky voice she got sometimes. It made me feel strange, like it was frustrating but also funny and I just wanted to make her squirm as much as she did the same to me. I felt something in me waver a little, like my guard couldn't hold up under the weight of my emotions. I just sighed and shrugged.

"Maybe I'm trying to be nicer," I murmured, looking away from her. I couldn't help it, looking into her eyes made my heart hurt. They were so pure and beautiful, but they also looked fogged over sometimes from all of the things she'd seen. I wondered how much Max had seen in her life. I mean, seeing your friend die and then having to save another human from their own decisions the way she did for Kate was enough to make a person lose it a little, but Max somehow held up under the weight of those things. I wondered if those were the only things she'd seen.

"Why?" Max's surprised response pulls me from my thoughts. I pause before looking up to meet her eyes again. I can't help smiling at the way her eyebrows are lifted so far above her eyes in surprise.

"Because maybe I actually wanna be friends," I reply, feeling my chest tighten at the admission. I didn't know what Max would say and that made me so nervous that I had to hold on tight to the towel in my hands. She just stared at me for a minute, her mouth open a little, like she'd just heard someone telling her that the whole world was actually just an illusion. After a long pause that felt like forever, Max started laughing, and not just a little. She actually looked like she was going to burst into tears she was laughing so hard.

I felt my brows furrow at her response, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I'm serious," I snap at her, but she doesn't stop laughing right away. The way her cheeks got all red when she laughed made my heart flutter. I just wanted to kiss her cheeks. She stops after a minute, taking a deep breath when she had regained herself. Straightening up, she wiped her eyes and sighed.

"You can't be serious," she said, still a little breathless. "There's no way in hell that you would actually want to be my friend." That stung a little and I had to resist the urge to flinch away.

"Says who?" I asked sharply, standing up straight and taking a step toward her. Max shrunk away a little, looking less amused, but she was still standing her ground. Did she think I was going to hurt her? "I can be friends with whoever the hell I want."

There was a long pause. I couldn't tell if Max actually believed me, but if I had to guess I'd say that she thought I was full of shit.

"Why would you wanna be friends with me?" she asked, that confused look on her face again. I paused and looked away from her again. I couldn't help it, I had to take breaks from her gaze to keep myself guarded at least a little.

"Because you're a good person," I started slowly, still not looking up at her. "I need someone like you as a friend because maybe you could help me be a better person." It was true, as strange and uncomfortable the words felt as I said them out loud. Max was one of the kindest people I had ever met and she saved Kate, the person I had practically shoved onto that roof. I knew that if I was her friend then I might become a nicer person which might not be such a bad thing. I knew that my rep might be a little stained if I got nicer, but it might make me feel like less of shit if I was actually decent to people. Sometimes I just couldn't help the bitchy stuff I did and said. It was like a disease that helped me get to the top. But being at the top was… Surprisingly lonely and not really satisfying most of the time.

"Are you sick or something?" Max asked, pulling me from my thoughts again. Apparently Max wasn't the only person that spaced out.

"What are you talking about?" I asked sharply, crossing my arms again.

"You're acting really weird," she said, smiling a little. She was joking and trying to hide the fact that my confession was funny to her. I felt regret growing in my chest

.

 _How could I have been so stupid to think that Max would understand?_

"Yeah," I replied, rolling my eyes. "I must be if I thought that you would ever actually even consider being my friend. How stupid of me." The words didn't sound as sharp as I wanted them to, so I started toward the door. As I reached out to grab the door handle, I felt Max grab my wrist, pulling me back a little. Her hands were so small and warm. My dream flashed through my head again, waking up the butterflies that I had managed to settle just a few minutes ago.

"Victoria, wait," she said softly. I sighed and turned around, not bothering to shake her hand off of my wrist. Max swallowed hard, not looking at me. "I'm sorry for acting so bitchy. I just never thought that you'd actually wanna be my friend. You were never exactly nice to me." I felt myself tense up at her words. She was right. I had never been nice to her, not the way she deserved. No wonder she laughed in my face, I would've laughed at me too.

"I know," I replied softly, taking a step towards her. "And I'm sorry for that. I do actually want to… you know, try this out." I felt Max's grip tense around my wrist.

"This?" she asked, it was a sort of squeak. I swallowed hard, looking away. This. Yeah, I wanted more than this. I wanted to… to… I don't even know how to say it. I just wanted to be with her.

"Yeah," I said. "I wanna try to be friends. If you want to then we can see how it goes."

Max let out a breath of amusement and looked up at me, smiling. But there was something beneath that smile, somewhere in her eyes, hiding behind the smile and the words that came with it. I wanted to find it because it made my insides feel warm. What was it?

"I would like that," Max said, letting go of my wrist. It felt cold where her hand had been, my skin missing her warmth.

"Good," I said, unable to help the smile that made its way to my lips. Max and I were actually going to try to be friends. Maybe it would be more if I played my cards right.

 _No_ , I told myself. _Just friends. For her sake if not your own._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Max's POV

Monday, November 16th, 2013, 8:35pm

I was sitting in my room, looking down at the guitar in my hands. I wanted to play it, but I couldn't stop thinking about Victoria and our conversation from earlier that day. She had almost ignored me for the rest of the day, save a couple of soft smiles that no one else seemed to notice. Since Jefferson had been arrested, we had a sub in our photography class, which basically made it a study hall. Normally, I would've gotten all of my homework done in that free period, but I ended up dedicating all of my willpower to not staring at Victoria. I would look up at her every now and again, but I had only caught her gaze once.

It was really weird, honestly. I wasn't sure how to act around her now. It was obvious before, all I had to do was ignore her and pretend like the things she said didn't bother me. Now she wouldn't even look at me unless she knew that no one else was looking in our direction. She had the most amazing smile, even when it was just a small one, it lit up her face and made my stomach tie itself in knots.

What I wouldn't give to be the cause of those smiles. I would do almost anything to be close to her, hold her so close that whatever words had been said between us before were crushed into dust.

A knock on my door made me jump, pulling me from the memory of Victoria's smile. I set my guitar down and walked over to the door, opening it to see that same smile staring me right in the face. I couldn't help reciprocating the smile, my posture straightening a little as I met Victoria's gaze.

"Good evening, Maxine," she said, the civility of the sentence must've killed her. She looked like she was trying really hard to hide something, to stop herself from acting on her emotions. My guess was that she was trying to act as nice as she could. My full name always bothered me, but when she said it, it felt kinda right, even if it was still awful.

"Hey," I said, leaning against my door frame. "Wanna come in?" It was awkward to ask, especially since my room was a mess and Victoria had never been into my room before. Despite the fact that I had already been in her multiple times. It seemed only fair, I got a picture of her anime figurine and she got to see my messy room. Fair is fair, after all.

"That's alright," she said, looking down at a folded up piece of paper in her hands. She held it out to me without looking at me. "I just came to give you this. It's for a Vortex Club thing we're doing this weekend and I figured it would be a good time for us to hang out a little."

I just sorta looked from her to the paper and back again, unsure of what just happened.

"You really think the rest of the club will want me there?" I asked, unable to stop myself. Victoria let out a small laugh and rolled her eyes, regaining her usual posture. She had her arms crossed over her chest and a smirk on her face.

"The only person who really hated you was Nathan," she said, her voice changing when she mentioned Nathan. I felt guilt start to bubble in my chest. I knew that the two of them had been close, like really close. They were probably supposed to get married after all this so that their families could continue their plans for world domination. But now that Nathan was in prison, Victoria didn't talk about him much, and I could only guess that his parents weren't exactly supporting him anymore. I hated him for what he did to Chloe, for what he did to Chloe's family and everyone else he ever came in contact with, but I also couldn't help feeling kinda bad for him. He had issues, like major mental problems. He needed help that his family wouldn't give him and that pushed him over the edge, but that didn't excuse the fact that he murdered Chloe and had a hand in Rachel's death as well.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Victoria said, her voice pulling me from my thoughts. "But I figured that maybe you would have fun. I was going to invite Kate as well, but I wasn't sure if she would be comfortable coming with us. Plus, everyone is the club seems to think that you're pretty cool." She said the last sentence like it was hard to admit. I just smiled and shrugged.

"I mean, I can be pretty cool when I wanna be," I said with a small laugh. Victoria just rolled her eyes, trying to hide the smile that came along with my stupid joke.

"Shut up and read the flyer and get back to me," she said, turning around to go back to her room that was just across from mine. She paused before she got to her door. "Just come by if you need anything. My door will probably be unlocked."

Her eyes seemed to linger on me before she walked into her room and closed the door behind her. I felt like my legs were about to turn into jello underneath me. She actually wanted me to come to a Vortex club party and was gonna invite Kate too so that I wouldn't feel awkward. She actually wanted to get to know me.

My heart raced at the thought of staying up all night to talk to Victoria. A smile made its way to my lips and I had to shake my head to clear out the clouds of giddiness that filled it. Closing my door and sitting on my bed, I unfolded the flyer and looked it over. It was a weekend getaway type of thing. We would be spending the weekend in some cabins up north. Three days and two nights, leaving on Friday after classed and coming back Sunday night.

I stared at the flyer, feeling confused and sort of suspicious. Why would Victoria want me around her and the rest of her club for three whole days?

I had to talk to someone about this. I wanted to text Chloe, but I realized that I couldn't before I picked up my phone. The only people I could think to talk to were Kate and Dana. Kate would probably tell me not to go, say that I would regret it and my life would be ruined. Dana was the more neutral of the two, being the nicest person in the Vortex club and just being a seemingly good friend overall. Maybe I would talk to Kate about it after I asked Dana. Knowing Kate, she was probably studying, so I decided that I wouldn't ask her until tomorrow morning.

I folded the paper back up and shoved it into the pocket of my jeans and walked out into the hall. Taylor and Courtney were walking toward Victoria's dorm, giggling about something and whispering as they walked past me. All I could do was hope that they weren't talking about me. I knew that Taylor liked me at least a little because I had talked to her about her mom and Courtney at least found me tolerable to some degree. Now that Nathan was gone, Victoria had been made president of the Vortex club, which meant that if I wanted to go because she invited me, nobody would argue. Well, at least not for very long.

I hurried down the hall, making my way to Dana's room. The door was closed for once, so I knocked softly, unable to really hear anything from the other side of the door because someone was playing loud music just across the hall. After I knocked, it took a minute for the door to open. Dana was standing there with a t shirt on and only her underwear underneath. Her face was red and she was breathing kind of heavy. I felt my face start to get hot when I realized what must've been happening.

"Hey, babe," I heard Trevor's voice from somewhere behind Dana. "Who's out there?"

"It's Max," she called back. "I'll be back in a second, ok?" She told him and closed the door behind her. We were standing out in the middle of the hall now and she was smiling at me the way she always did. She was so sweet, but I suddenly felt really uncomfortable, like I had interrupted something kind of important…

"I'm sorry for getting in the way," I stammered, avoiding her gaze. "I can come back later if you're busy. I would hate to interrupt anything important." Dana just laughed, shaking her head.

"I mean, I was about to start something, but it can wait if you really need to talk," she said with a smile, ruffling my already messy hair. I paused, blushing from her affectionate smile. Dana had always sort of been like a big sister to me. A really tall and not at all like me type of big sister. I grabbed my left forearm with my right hand and scraped the old carpeted floor with my converse.

"Can we talk in my room for a minute?" I asked, not wanting anyone to hear what I was about to ask Dana. I mean, it was nothing crazy, but I knew that if it got back to Victoria that I was suspicious of her, the consequences could be dire. Plus, I'm not even sure that anyone except the two of us knew that we were trying to be civil and she was trying to treat me like an actual human being. All I could really do was hope that Dana wouldn't tell anyone after I talked to her. Dana's brows furrowed and she looked sort of concerned.

"Uh, sure, Max," she said and smiled a little to show that she was willing to follow me. "Just let me tell Trevor that I'll be a little longer than expected."

"Okie dokie," I replied, looking down at the floor. God, was my face on fire? I couldn't help wondering what Victoria was actually up to and now, there I was, asking Dana if she could have a conversation with me and make her boyfriend wait until I had gotten everything off my chest. I felt like an ass, but I had to talk to someone about this before my head exploded.

When Dana had explained the situation to Trevor, she followed me to my room. When we got there, I closed the door behind us and she sat on my bed, patting the spot next to her like she'd sat in that same spot a million times. I never understood how Dana could seem so comfortable in so many different places and in so many different situations. I sat down next to her, grabbing the folded up flyer out of my pocket and handing it to her.

"Victoria gave this to me today and asked me if I wanted to come along with you guys," I explained as Dana opened the flyer, frowning a little as she read it over, like she was thinking really hard about what the flyer said. After she had read it over, she shrugged and handed it back to me.

"Doesn't seem too out of the ordinary to me," she said, laughing a little. "Why did you wanna talk about this?" I felt myself blushing again. Maybe I was just being silly thinking that Victoria was trying to trick me. I suddenly felt like shit, sinking into myself.

"I don't know," I said honestly. "I thought that maybe she was just trying to get a chance to tease me some more, but I don't know. This morning she said she wanted to try and be friends because she thought it would help her become a better person if she was friends with someone like me. She said that she thought I was nice. I want to believe that she actually wants to be my friend, but it just feels so out of the ordinary." Dana paused, looking at me with a grin on her face. I turned to look at her and could've sworn that my whole body was about to burst into flames. "What?" I asked, feeling self conscious all of a sudden.

"Does someone have a crush on Queen Bitchtoria of Blackwell?" She asked, nudging my shoulder. God, I was on fire, I was actually on fire.

"What!?" My response was louder than I meant it to be. "That's ridiculous." I continued, making my response a little more calm and collected. I stood up and took a few steps away from my bed. I could feel Dana looking at me, watching me as the wheels in my head turned, searching for a response. "Would it be so bad if I did?" I asked softly. I was surprised that Dana heard me. She stood and put her hand on my shoulder, smiling down at me.

"It would be a really good thing, actually," she said with a giggle. "Maybe a little bit of girl on girl action would get her to be less of a bitch." She said the last part with a smirk and I felt my whole body tense up. She laughed, pulling me into a hug. "Awwww, my poor, innocent little Max! You're getting all grown up, falling for the most popular girl in all of Arcadia Bay and everything."

"I just don't know what to do about it," I replied, leaning into her hug. She pulled away from me, both hands gripping my shoulders tight.

"Tell her how you feel," she suggested with a smile. "I have a feeling that she might not be against the idea."

"How could you possibly know that?" I asked a little more sharply than I meant to. I wasn't sure if Dana was actually taking this seriously or not. I was glad for her help, but this was the first time I had ever admitted this to another living human being. I don't really know how I expected Dana to react, but I guess it wasn't like this. Dana suddenly started laughing a little too hard. I just felt confused, what was so funny about my question. But I couldn't help smiling as she laughed. The way her laughter consumed her whole body in times like this made me wanna take a picture, so that I could always remember what real laughter looked like.

"Are you serious, Max?" She asked after she'd managed to hold back her laughter. I tilted my head to the side in confusion, still not sure what was so funny. Dana sighed, smiling as she ran her fingers through her hair. "Victoria's had the hots for you ever since you stepped foot on campus. Why do you think she's always been such a giant bitch to you?"

"I thought she was that way with everyone," I replied, thinking over the beginning of my time at Blackwell. She did treat everyone that way, but I had noticed that she went out of her way to insult me at every chance she got.

"But you're the only one that's ever really stood up to her," Dana said, pulling me from my memories. "Ever since you started to stand up to her, she's been trying to get under your skin 24/7. Trust me, Max. Queen Bee wants your D." I couldn't help blushing, looking away from her.

"No way," I protested. "Plus, that's gross. The D part, not the her wanting me part…"

"Oooooooo," Dana giggled, grinning mischievously. "Please, please, pleaaassseeeee go on this trip with us! It'll be the perfect time to profess your undying love for the bitchiest human alive."

"She's not that bad," I murmured, avoiding Dana's gaze. Why was it so difficult for me to talk about this? I thought about it way too much as is, I thought talking about this stuff was supposed to make me feel better, but I only felt more confused.

"Just trust me, Max," Dana said with another award winning smile. "Go for it. The worst that could happen is that she says no."

Just the thought of Victoria flat out denying me hurt more than it should've. But if she said yes…

"Fine," I sighed, running my hands through my hair. "I'll go to the stupid trip thing, but no promises on the confession yet." Dana squealed a little and hugged me.

"Good! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have someone I gotta take care of," she said it with a smirk before walking out of my room. I just felt myself blushing again. I would be listening to a lot of music tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Victoria's POV

Friday, November 20th, 2013, 3:32pm

I was packing up what I would need for this weekend. Looking over the outfits I had set out. I made sure that each one would do well to keep me cool during the day, was up to the most recent trends but was also practical for spending most of my time in the middle of nowhere. I also had three different bathing suits set out, one for each day that we would be by the lake. Next to all of this, I had a pile of various bras and panties that I had to choose from.

I wasn't expecting anything to happen with anyone this weekend. Even if I wanted something to happen with a particular selfie ho. What I wouldn't give to taint that perfect little virgin image of hers. I don't know why, but the fact that she'd never been with a boy, or girl, in a sexual way was a real turn on for me. Maybe I just loved the idea of corrupting someone.

 _Wow, super deep and creepy of you, Victoria._ I shook my head to clear it, deciding that I would pack my newest underwear to take with me, just incase I needed to try and make Max jealous or something. I mean, I really didn't want to make her jealous. I just wanted to be close to her. I wanted her to feel the same way I felt about her. I knew that would never happen in a million years, but still. A girl can dream, right?

I was folding up my clothes to put in my suitcase when I heard a knock at my door. I sighed, setting down the shirt I had been folding and walked toward the door to answer it. When I opened the door, Taylor was standing outside with a smile on her face and two cups of coffee in her hands. I couldn't help smiling as I let her in.

Taylor was my best friend in the entire school. Well, besides Nate, but he was in prison now, so I guess it was hard to say that we were pals after he killed someone. Taylor knew more about me than most people and I really trusted her. She knew that I wasn't as much of a bitch as I pretended to be and was willing to accept me the way I was. I usually talked to her about whatever was on my mind at any particular moment, but I hadn't told her about Max. I wasn't sure how she'd react to the idea of me having a crush on Max Caulfield of all people. Or how she's react to me being gay. I mean, she wasn't a bigot or anything like that, but I didn't want her to feel uncomfortable around me. Then I'd be all alone again.

"Hey," Taylor said, pulling me from my thoughts. Her blue eyes filling with concern as she stepped into my room. "Are you ok? You look a little out of it today and you've been acting weird all week." I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me as I closed the door behind her and took the coffee that she handed me. It was still warm.

"I just have a lot on my mind," I said softly, trying to look more confident in my words than I felt. Taylor sat on my couch, smiling a little as she looked up at me.

"What's up?" She asked, sipping her coffee. I knew I could trust her, but how would she react? Well, I had to tell her something. But if I lied and she found out, she might be even more pissed than if I had just told her. I took a deep breath and leaned against my door, looking down at my coffee.

"Well," I started hesitantly. "I… I um… You know Caulfield?" I asked, angry at myself for not being able to speak normally. This wasn't even that big of a deal. Right? Taylor nodded and laughed a little.

"Yeah," she said, leaning against the back rest of the couch. "Aren't you like obsessively trying to seduce her?" The response made me freeze up and I almost crushed the coffee cup in my hand. I could feel my cheeks heating up.

"What?" I shouted, standing up straight. "No way! She's stupid and ugly and has absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever! Why would I be trying to seduce her?"

"Well, you did invite her on the trip this weekend," Taylor said in a somewhat defensive tone. "I just figured that you wanted to get in her pants, that's all." I paused, biting at my lip as I thought of what to say next. I hated saying these things about her, but I hadn't thought before I spoke. I didn't think any of those things. I loved her stupid freckled face and all those deer shirts she loved so much. I mean, she wasn't a fashion genius, but she made up for that with how caring and thoughtful she was and how amazing her photos were. But I couldn't let my reputation fall apart because of a crush. That just wasn't an option.

"So you'd be ok with me liking Max?" I asked slowly, testing the waters a little. Taylor shrugged and smiled at me a little.

"If it makes you happy then I'm in on supporting you," she replied, taking a long sip of coffee. "As long as it's within reason, anyway."

"And Victoria Chase being gay for Maxine Caulfield sounds like something that falls within reason to you?" I asked, a little surprised by Taylor's calm and level headed response. Was she always like this? Or had she just gotten a little high before coming over? I couldn't tell, but that was besides the point. Taylor laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, Vic," she said with an exasperated sigh. "Get over yourself already! Max is a good person and honestly, anyone would be lucky to have her. You're also really fucking awesome and anyone in this universe would be a total idiot to turn you down. Plus, you guys would be a really cute couple." I was so surprised that I thought my coffee might just slip from my fingers and spill all over the floor. She was being serious. I had no idea that Taylor ever thought any of those things. I moved over and sat on the couch next to Taylor, meeting her eyes.

"You really think so?" I whispered, trying to convince myself that maybe this was all a dream or maybe I was just losing my mind. I'm not really sure why those options would be preferable to being with Max, but in that moment they would've been easier to accept than anything else that was happening. Taylor smiled at me and nodded.

"Yeah," she said gently, putting her hand on my shoulder. "If being with Max is what you really want, tell her. The worst thing that could happen is that she says no."

The thought of Max turning me down made me even more nervous and kind of angry. But I suppressed the thought, burying it deep down with all of the other unwanted thoughts that had come to pass.

"Thanks, Taylor," I said softly and stood, setting my coffee down on my desk as I went back to my bed to continue picking out clothes for the weekend. Looking down at the underwear I picked, I took a pair off of my bed and held it up for Taylor to see.

"Do you think that Max would like these?" I asked, grinning a little. Taylor looked up and laughed, almost spilling her coffee.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Max's POV

Friday, November 20th, 4:54pm

Victoria had told me to come and knock at her door at 5 o'clock so that we could take all of our stuff to her car and head out. Apparently there weren't that many people coming, just Victoria, Taylor, Courtney, Dana, Trevor (because Dana had somehow convinced Victoria to let Trevor come along), Zachary and Hayden. Taylor and Courtney and I would be driving up in Victoria's car while Dana, Trevor, Zachary and Hayden were taking Hayden's car. The lake we were headed to was about a five hour drive north, getting pretty close to the Canadian border. Being so far from home wasn't the weird part for me, I had been away from home lots of times and hadn't seen either of my parents in what felt like half an eternity. What made me nervous was being in the middle of nowhere with Victoria Chase and the other Vortex club people we were going with. I mean, I knew that I could trust Dana and I had always gotten along with Trevor, so I knew that I'd have someone to hang out with, but they were probably gonna share a room which left me all alone in that aspect.

Maybe Victoria would wanna share a room with me. We'd be all curled up in one of those big beds they always have in cabins, wrapped in a big blanket with a fire going in the fireplace across the room. Maybe Victoria would get cold and wanna snuggle with me and I'd offer to warm her up a little more. Then maybe things would start to really heat up, if you know what I mean.

 _Max… Seriously. Calm yourself or she might sense your lady boner_. I took a deep breath, holding a duffel bag in one hand, my messenger bag slung over my shoulder as I knocked on the door. I had managed to tame my hair somehow before coming across the hall. I wanted to at least impress Victoria a little, even if it didn't really mean much. It took a minute before the door opened. I was met by Taylor's smile as she realized who I was.

"Max!" she exclaimed, grabbing my wrist and pulling me into Victoria's room. I laughed nervously, trying to keep my balance as I followed her. She had never been this excited to see me before and I couldn't help wondering why she had such a sudden change of heart. Had Victoria told her that we were trying to get along? The thought made my heart skip a beat. Did Victoria really care about this to the point of actually telling other people? I knew what being my friend might do for her reputation, so I was taken aback by the way she smiled as me as Taylor dragged me over to the couch.

"Hey, Maxine," Victoria said, grabbing her suitcase. It looked heavy but she didn't seem fazed by its weight in the slightest. It must've been all that exercise she did during the week. I saw her going for runs sometimes and would even catch her walking toward the showers in her shorts and sports bra sometimes. It was always weird seeing someone as classy as Victoria sweat, but it was also kinda nice to know that she had normal bodily functions like the rest of us.

"Hey," I replied, setting my duffel bag on the couch. Taylor had this weird look on her face when she looked at me, like she was trying to read my mind or tell me something without actually having to say it. It was weird and it made my stomach feel tight.

"Are you ready to go?" Victoria asked me, pulling me from my thoughts. I met her eyes again and smiled a little bit.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, picking up my bag again. I suddenly questioned why I had set it down in the first place. Oh well, too late now, right?

We met up with Courtney and Dana at the end of the hall and then with Trevor, Zachary and Hayden just in front of the parking lot. I followed Victoria and Taylor to Victoria's car. It was a dark blue convertible with tinted windows and really shiny rims. It was probably more expensive than my life. Victoria popped the trunk and threw her suitcase in with a thud, making the car dip a little bit before the suspension evened everything out. She must've packed her entire wardrobe into that thing. Taylor set her stuff down and I did the same.

"Courtney!" Victoria called to her from across the parking lot. "Are you coming or not?" Courtney gave Victoria a pouty look. She was talking with Hayden. Or flirting with him, I guess. From the way she laughed and touched his bicep, I was guessing that Courtney was laying down some groundwork for this weekend. I was surprised that Taylor wasn't doing the same with Zachary, but by the way she had been staring over at him for the past couple minutes, I guessed that she was wishing she was doing the same in that moment. He had broken up with Juliet awhile ago, but I never found out why.

Victoria let out a sigh and waved her hand dismissively at Courtney.

"She'll be riding with her boytoy," she huffed and closed the trunk of her car with a slam. I jumped a little at the loud sound and Taylor put her hand on my shoulder with a small giggle.

"Don't be so nervous, Max," she said with a smile. "She doesn't bite, you know. Well… Unless you want her to." With that, Taylor winked and walked to the passenger side of the car. I stood there, staring after her, my mouth hanging open a little. Before I could get myself to ask what she meant, Victoria got into the driver's seat and started the car. I hopped into the back seat and strapped in. Safety first and all that. I had never been in Victoria's car before and I had definitely never been in it while she was driving it. She put the car in gear and sped out of the parking lot with surprising precision. Hayden followed us in his truck, a huge white monster on four wheels that was louder than any car I had ever hear, even Chloe's.

I sat back in my seat, feeling sort of out of place on the black leather. Victoria had the top down, letting the wind whip through her hair as we drove way faster than we should've on city streets. Taylor had turned on the radio, blasting the type of music I'd always heard at parties. I didn't mind it that much, but I would've prefered something else. I leaned my head back against the headrest, suddenly feeling drained by the day I'd had at school. It wasn't any more straining than any other day as far as classes went, but I had to explain to Kate where I was going for the weekend and why. She had tried really hard to be supportive of my decision to come on this trip, even though I could tell that it scared her a little. Kate had never really been a big fan of the Vortex club or any of its members, which was understandable from all the shit they put her through that week back in October.

She had asked me why I thought Victoria would've asked me to come along in the first place so I told her about things her and I had talked about on Monday morning. Needless to say, Kate was surprised when I explained most of the situation to her. I neglected to tell her about my feelings for Victoria, though, figuring that just one other human being knowing about it was enough for now.

Or was it just one other person?

I was reminded of Taylor's earlier comment and felt my face getting red at the words. Did Taylor know? Why would she have said that? I could feel anxiety clawing its way into my chest and stomach at the idea that Taylor somehow found out about my feelings for Victoria. I was sitting in the seat just behind Taylor in the car, so all I could see was the back of her head and her blond hair whipping in the wind as she nodded her head in time with the music.

I could see a bit of Victoria's face as she concentrated on the road, looking focused, but I wasn't sure if she was focused on the road or if she was thinking about something. All I knew was that she was putting most of her attention on one thing by the way she worried her bottom lip a little, her jaw more tense than usual. Her perfectly kept hair was being tugged on by the wind, but it still looked amazing. I wanted to take a picture of her, the small crease between her brows that I could see in the mirror and the way she looked like she was thinking so deeply about something that it was evident on her face. My guess was that Taylor wasn't paying much attention to that because she was just talking about something she'd seen on Twitter that morning.

I leaned back into my seat, trying to focus on anything that wasn't Victoria and her dark green eyes glued to the road. Looking out where the window would be if it were rolled up, I watched as we passed run down buildings before getting onto the freeway.

We had been driving for less than and hour and a half when Taylor got a call from Courtney in the other car, saying that they needed to pull over so that she could pee and Hayden could get gas. We found a gas station and everyone got out to do their own thing. When I got out of the car, my legs felt sort of wobbly. We hadn't been driving for that long, but I got car sick easy and the butterflies that exploded in my stomach every time I looked at Victoria probably didn't help.

I started walking toward the bathroom when Dana came up behind me, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. I jumped a little, unable to hold back my squeak of surprise. With a giggle, Dana leaned down to whisper in my ear.

"So how are things going with the rich girl and her slave?" She asked as we made our way to the bathroom. I shrugged and smiled a little.

"We've just been driving, nothing too exciting," I reply, suddenly remembering Taylor's comment again. Victoria… biting… Not a good combination.

 _Or maybe it's too good_. I shook my head a little.

"Don't lie, Caulfield," Dana said jokingly, nudging me a little. "I saw that look on your face when Taylor was talking to you! What did she say?"

"Nothing," I said hurriedly, trying to avoid the thoughts that had started evolving in my mind. "She just said that I shouldn't be nervous because Victoria doesn't bite." Dana took a step away from me, narrowing her eyes at me as we stood in front of the bathroom as she crossed her arms over her chest. She just stared at me, her gaze tearing through me like pieces of shattered glass. I felt my face getting hot and I had to look away for what I was about to say. "Then she gave me this weird look and said 'Unless you want her to.'" I squirmed, rubbing my elbow with my hand as I watched Dana get this shit eating grin across her face, bouncing up and down a little.

"Oh my goooddddddd," she squealed, giggling. I tried to get her be quiet, seeing Victoria look over at the two of us suspiciously. Her eyes narrowed and she started walking over.

 _Oh shit, oh shit!_

"Shut up," I begged Dana, grabbing her shoulders. "She's com-" I couldn't finish my sentence in time. Victoria was right behind Dana, arms crossed, grimace in full effect. I could feel my legs getting weak underneath me and my heart start to beat hard against my ribs. "H-hey, Victoria," I stammered, taking a step back.

"What's so exciting over here?" She asked, looking from me then to Dana and back. Dana wasn't even trying to hide her amusement.

 _Damnit, Dana_.

"Oh, nothing really," Dana said in a very calm and amused way, turning to walk away. "I'll see you guys at our next stop." She said it in a sing song voice as she walked away towards Hayden's car. With Dana gone, Victoria and all of her wrath was focused on me. I couldn't help but shrink away from her. I usually tried really hard not to react to that terrifying look she always gave me, but I couldn't help it in that moment.

"Well," she snapped at me, hands on her hips now. I swallowed hard and tried to stand up straight. I tried to search for words, any words. Literally any words would've worked just fine. But instead, I stood there with my mouth open like an idiot.

 _Right, real attractive, Max! She's definitely into stammering morons!_

Victoria just sighed and waved at me dismissively.

"Whatever, Caulfield," she huffed, turning away from me. "Just do your business and get back in the car so we can get out of here." She walked away, her hips swaying a bit as she made her way back to her car. I couldn't help myself as my gaze ran down her body from her perfect hair to her shoulders, down her back, my eyes lingering on her butt for moment and then down her legs. I felt my whole body getting hot and I had to shake my head to pull myself back into reality. After I used the restroom, I walked back to the car to see that the top was up again so I wouldn't have to struggle to keep my hair out of my face. Maybe Victoria just hadn't wanted to deal with the wind anymore.

When I got to the car, Courtney was sitting in the back behind the driver's seat. She was on her phone, but she looked up at me when I opened the door to get in. She gave me a nasty look, like I was infected with some kind of disease. I froze up, not sure whether to get in or not.

"What do you think you're doing?" It sounded more like a command than a question.

"I was just-" I started, but Victoria interrupted.

"She's riding with us, Courtney," she said as she climbed into the driver's seat. "So deal with it or get out." I looked from Victoria to Courtney, who was still giving me the death stare as I slowly climbed into my seat and strapped myself in. When I had settled myself, I put my headphones in and was scrolling through my music when I heard Courtney's muffled voice through my lack of music.

"Why the hell did you even invite her?" Courtney asked, scrolling through her phone. They must've thought that I wasn't listening because what Victoria said next made me wanna jump out of the car and run back to Blackwell.

"I only invited her so that all the other losers back at the academy would be a little more accepting of the fact that I'm in charge," she said, starting the car. I couldn't help but wince a little at her words, but I looked out the window to seem like I didn't hear them.

"So you've gone soft?" Courtney retorted boldly.

"There's nothing soft about using someone the way you want to," Victoria snapped, speeding out of the gas station. I looked up at her face in the rear view mirror, seeing that worry line in between her eyebrows again. Why was she saying all of this? Was it because she didn't want Courtney to know that she was actually trying to be nice, or was she actually trying to use me? It seemed like such a small thing, getting people at our school that hated her to like her was never something that Victoria seemed to care about. She had never cared about people her age liking her. She didn't even seem to care if Courtney liked her and I thought they were friends. Maybe Nathan and Taylor were the only people that actually did like Victoria.

I turned on my music for real this time, staring out the window. I could feel my emotions fighting a war in my chest and in my mind. I wanted to believe that Victoria actually wanted to be my friend because that was better than her hating me. But how was I supposed to trust her if she was telling everyone different things? It was entirely possible for her to be lying to Courtney and be telling me the truth, I knew that. But it was also more than likely that she was lying to me while telling Courtney the truth.

 _Whatever._ I thought, leaning my head against the window and watching the cars as we passed them. _Just drop it and try to lay low for the next three days._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Victoria's POV

Friday, November 20th, 2013, 8:43pm

Taylor had taken over driving so that I could sleep in the backseat. I was nervous about letting someone else drive my car, but Taylor was a surprisingly good driver. Max had fallen asleep where she sat, her mouth hanging open a little as her chest rose and fell with each breathe. She looked so small when she was asleep, her mind able to ignore the world for a little while. I was laying over the other two seats in the back, looking up at the freckled girl above me. She was a super heavy sleeper, being able to stay so peaceful with Taylor's music at full blast. I wondered if she would notice if I layed my head in her lap. I was uncomfortably scrunched, my legs pressed against the door.

Moving slowly, I lifted my head and scoot back a little, laying my head down on Max's lap, letting out a sigh when I had managed to set my head down on her legs without her so much as stirring. She was warm and her old jeans were soft against my cheek as I looked up at her. Her head was leaned against the window, her breathes causing a bit of steam to appear every time she took a breathe. She was adorable, beautiful even. Part of me wished that I could just lay like that with her forever, but I knew that wouldn't be possible. I knew that we would eventually get to the lake or she would wake up and wonder why I was asleep in her lap.

It was a really intimate position honestly. I was laying there as she slept, my head right where some of her most vulnerable parts were. And no, I don't just mean her girly bits, god. If I turned my head toward her, I was facing her stomach which was one of the most vulnerable parts on a person's body. I could hurt her if I wanted to. I wouldn't, obviously. I wanted to do just the opposite. I wanted to protect her from anything and everything that could ever hurt her, even if it made me vulnerable at the same time.

That's really what intimacy was, really. It was being so vulnerable in front of another person that you knew that they could hurt you all that they wanted, but trusting them with everything you had in spite of that.

Thinking on those things, I felt the guilt from my conversation with Courtney bubble to the surface again. I just hadn't wanted Courtney that I had gone soft, otherwise she would never have taken me seriously again, thus spreading rumors about me and taking away the control I had over Blackwell. But I didn't know if that was worth saying things like that about Max so openly. I knew that she had her headphones in when the conversation had occurred, but that didn't change the fact that it happened and that I felt more guilty about it than I had felt about most things that I had done. The only thing I really ever felt worse about was what happened with Kate because that almost ended in someone being dead. It made me feel as shitty as I hoped Nathan felt. No, actually, I hoped that Nathan felt worse because he actually killed someone.

The only reason Kate was alive was because of Max and that made me feel even worse. I never wanted anyone to feel the way I had made Kate feel ever again, especially not Max of all people. She didn't deserve that, not even a little.

I closed my eyes, deciding that I need to rest a little bit. It took a good amount of sleep to keep myself looking as close to perfection as I could. Even though all I wanted was to look up at Max all night and see how peaceful she was while she slept, I knew that would not only be creepy, but would also keep me from getting a decent amount of sleep.

It took a little bit of time, but I finally fell asleep, savoring Max's warmth against my head and shoulders.

I was awoken by someone shaking me by my shoulder. I groaned, keeping my eyes closed against the bright lights of the car, burying my face into something warm and sort of squishy. I felt whatever it was get tense and realized that it wasn't a what… but a who.

"Uh, Victoria?" Max quiet voice broke through my sleepy haze and I shot upright, looking at Max with my mouth hanging open a little. I knew that I should've moved or said something, but I couldn't I was shocked and tired and could barely hold myself up. God, Max had really nice lips. Maybe if I got a little drunk this weekend she would let me kiss her.

 _What? No! Pull yourself together!_ I shook my head a little, rubbing my eyes.

"You ok?" Max asked me, looking at me with those big puppy dog eyes of hers. I wondered what it would be like to wake up and see those eyes in the morning.

"What?" I asked, still trying to focus. Max chuckled and got out of the car, helping me out despite my protests.

"Everyone else has already gone inside," she said, grabbing her duffle bag and my suitcase. I winced when she almost dropped it onto the dirt driveway. I knew it was too heavy for her, but when I reached out to take it, she pulled it just out of my reach and shook her head with a smile. "I've got this. You just lock up the car and we'll head inside." All I could do was nod, closing the trunk and the door then locked the doors with the keys Max must've handed to me at some point.

 _Why am I so tired?_ Road trips had always made me sort of sleepy, but I felt like I had been hit by a semi truck. We walked up to the cabin and I managed to get up the steps even though my legs felt like they were made of lead. I could only imagine how Max felt, carrying my suitcase, which was way over packed, and probably also having to deal with the fact that both her legs were probably asleep because of me.

Luckily, we both made it up the stairs and into the cabin. Everyone had already gone to their rooms when something suddenly dawned on me.

"You're ok with us sharing a room, right?" I asked Max who got this dumb founded look on her face when I spoke. She paused, setting down my suitcase by the door to shake out her arm. I felt myself feeling a little guilty, but was too tired to really know what to do.

"Yeah, uh, that's fine with me," she replied, stammering a little. I didn't blame her, but I also wasn't really awake enough to care. I took a step toward her and picked up my suitcase before she could grab it and lead the way to a room up the stairs.

 _Noooo, not more stairs…_

I lugged my giant suitcase up the stairs and walked to a room at the end of the long dark hallways. It was the master bedroom and I had told everyone that I was the only person who could use it. There hadn't been enough rooms for everyone to share before and I knew that, but I also knew that Taylor and Courtney were going to hook up with Zachary and Hayden, so I wasn't worried about it.

But now that Max was coming along, I had a feeling that we would be sharing a room because I knew that I wouldn't be able to let Max sleep downstairs on a couch and I knew that I wouldn't want to sleep downstairs on a couch. I unzipped my suitcase and took out a pair of light pink silk pajama pants and a long sleeve plain white shirt. I could feel someone's eyes staring at the back of my head. I sighed and turned around, seeing Max standing on the other side of the bed while figiding with her shoulder bag.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. She had that lost puppy look on her face again, like I had just tried to kick her in the head. She looked away from me, I could've sworn that I saw her blushing, but it was hard to tell with most of the lights off.

"Are you sure that this is ok?" She asked sheepishly, looking down at her shoes. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to keep myself focused. I was beyond exhausted and just wanted to go to sleep. I wasn't really in the mood for social boundaries in that moment.

"Look," I said slowly but firmly. "If you're not ok with this then there's a couch downstairs you can sleep on. But I'm not against the idea of sleeping next to you because I'm sure that your awful fashion sense and love of weird hipster shit isn't contagious, so you can sleep here with me or you can go and risk freezing to death on the couch." She was looking back up at me now, her eyes wide with surprise. She was definitely more awake than me and it was sort of annoying. I knew that she was probably still afraid that I was going to play some awful prank on her, but I wasn't sure how to get it through her head that I wasn't out to get her, despite what I might've said to other people.

"I just… Don't want to bother you," she said softly, looking away from me again. The way her voice wavered made something inside of me go soft. All I wanted in that moment was to wrap her up in my arms and hold her close. She looked so small and vulnerable and I wished that I could make her feel safe. I sighed and walked over to her, putting my hand on her shoulder, making sure to catch her gaze.

"You don't bother me," I said, trying to sound as genuine as I could without letting sleep crawl into my voice. She let out an amused breath, rolling her eyes jokingly. "Ok, maybe you bother me a little, but only because we're so similar and I know that you should have way more confidence in yourself. If someone as talented and beautiful as you can't see how talented they are then how can someone like me possibly have any faith in this world or even themselves?" I could feel and hear myself talking, but I couldn't stop myself. Both of my hands were on Max's shoulders as I continued to stare into her big blue eyes. I wanted to run, I wanted to stop talking, stop saying everything that I felt because I knew that it wouldn't go anywhere positive. I would say too much, reveal my true feelings. She'd either be super creeped out and want to leave or laugh in my face and tell everyone that I was a big gay softy.

"Victoria," she interrupted me. I was more thankful for the interruption than I would ever be able to express. She had this tiny smile on her face. "It's ok. I'll sleep in here, ok? Just get changed and get some rest. We can talk more about this in the morning if you want." Her voice was so soft and calm, her gentle eyes watching me like I was about to collapse. I just nodded, looking away from her. I could feel this weird energy between us. I wanted to hug her and I could tell that she wanted to hug me. I usually wasn't one to initiate physical affection, but I couldn't really stop myself in that moment.

Wrapping my arms around her waist, I gently pulled her into my arms, doing my best not to scare her away. I was almost afraid to hold her too tightly, like I might break her if I held her too close. I felt her tense up in my grasp for a moment before loosening up and wrapping her arms around my neck. I loved the way her warmth seeped through her clothes and radiated through me. I wished that I could stay like that with her forever, but I pulled away after a moment.

I walked back over to the other side of the bed, grabbed my pajamas off of the bed and walked into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. When I closed the door, I leaned against it, taking a deep breath, trying to stop my heart from racing. My skin was tingling where Max had her arms wrapped around me. I wanted to go back into the room and kiss her, kiss her so hard and so long and so possessively that she would never forget that I was the only one who could have her.

Except, she wasn't mine. She was Max, her out person with her own life that, probably as far as most of life was concerned, didn't involve me in the slightest. She lived her life as herself, not trying to impress anyone or live up to anyone else's expectations except for her own. I wished that I could be like her in that way. I guess that's why I wanted to be with her so much. Maybe she would help me be more confident in myself.

Even if she didn't want to have a romantic relationship with me, maybe she would still want to be my friend. That would be enough, that would be all that I needed to become more like her.

I must've been stewing in my own thoughts for a while because there was a small knock on the door that I was pressed against that made me jump a little. I took a deep breath and stood up straight.

"What?" I asked, trying not to be too loud.

"I just wanted to make sure you were ok," Max's soft voice made its way through the thick, hard wooden door.

"Yeah," I replied, starting to change as I spoke. "I was just fixing myself in the mirror a little."

"Ok," she said a little nervously. "Sorry." I heard her footsteps retreating away from the door and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. After I got changed, I really did fix myself up in the mirror a little, fast enough so that I wouldn't take so long that she'd start to worry about me again. It was strange that Max actually did worry about me.

When I was finished, I walked out to see Max laying under the covers already, facing away from the bathroom. Her head poked out from under the covers a little, her messy brown hair blending in with the dark brown comforter. I walked over, slowly climbing into the bed so I wouldn't disturb her. The bed was smaller than it looked, so I had to scoot close to her so I wouldn't fall off the bed.

My hand brushed against her back as I got myself comfortable and I felt her tense up a little. She was shivering. Was she cold?

"Victoria?" she asked softly, still facing away from me. I looked up at the ceiling, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

"Yeah?" I whispered. My heart skipped a beat at the sound of Max's voice. I tried to keep my eyes on the ceiling as she turned over to face me.

"Why did you invite me to come on this trip?" she asked, her bright blue eyes looking at me through the darkness. I looked over at her, unable to stop myself.

"Because I wanted you to come with me," I said simply. I just hoped that she wouldn't be able to hear my heart beating through the silence. Her brows furrowed and she looked away from me for a second before meeting my gaze again, like she was thinking of what to say next.

"But why?" She persisted. "You hate me." Her voice shook as she spoke that last part, like the words hurt her. Did she actually value my opinion of her?

"I don't hate you," I said gently, scooting a little closer to her and taking her right hand in both of mine. Her fingers were so small and delicate and kind of cold between my palms. I looked away from her gaze and down at her hand in mine. My skin tingled where hers made contact. "I actually feel… I feel quite the opposite." The words almost got stuck in my throat as I spoke them. I wanted to tell her. I wanted to scream it from the mountain tops. More than anything, I wanted to tell Max that I had real, romantic feelings for her. But I was so scared that I could barely move. I just held onto her hand like a lifeline, wishing that she could just read my mind.

"I feel the same way," Max whispered, pulling my hands toward her and holding them against her chest. Her eyes were watching me when I met her gaze. I could see the nervousness on her face by the way her face started getting red and the way her eyes were glued to mine. I could barely breathe. Had she just…

"What do you mean?" It was barely a whisper. I could hardly get the words to escape my lips at all. She swallowed hard, looking away from me and rubbing the back of my right hand with her thumb. I felt my insides getting warm and butterflies swarming in my stomach.

"I… I don't just wanna be your friend."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Max's POV

Saturday, November 21st, 2013, 2:21am

There I was, laying in some strange, very expensive bed with Victoria Chase of all people. Holding her hands against my chest, staring into dark green eyes, my entire body ready to explode. I could've sworn that everyone within a mile's radius could hear my heart beating faster than the speed of light. Was I really about to say this?

"I… I don't just wanna be friends."

Apparently I was gonna say it. It was said. I froze, searching Victoria's for any signs of emotion. She looked shell shocked, like her entire world had just come crumbling down in front of her. That was never a good response. I still couldn't believe that I'd said it. I said it out loud and everything. How did I get here? How did I go from being totally happy keeping my feelings a secret forever to spilling my guts to the one person who could totally tear my last bit of hope to shreds.

But I didn't want her to know that she had that power over me. Not because I was afraid she would use it against me, but because I didn't want her to feel like she had to do something that she didn't want to do. My entire body was on fire from embarrassment and the anticipation I got from the eternity it took for her to answer me. She was just staring at me, like I had turned her world upside down or told her the biggest secret of all time. Part of me wanted to tell her that I could also reverse time and I was the reason why Nathan got arrested to take the weight off of the situation I had put myself into, but I knew that wouldn't exactly help. So I waited.

"Why?" She murmured, looking away from me. She was so beautiful in the soft glow of the moonlight coming through the windows behind me. "I've never done anything nice for you as long as we've known each other."

"You asked me to be your friend," I replied, wishing that she would look at me. I was so nervous that she would turn me down, but she wasn't laughing in my face so that was a start. "That shows that you care. Even if it's just a little. And I know that I'm not exactly your favorite person on the planet and I'm surprised that you haven't thrown me out on my ass already, but I really care about you. You're so smart and talented and so dedicated to everything you do. Not to mention the fact that you're probably the most beautiful girl in all of Oregon, maybe even the whole world."

I was rambling on and on, but she was looking at me now, this soft, vulnerable look in her eyes.

"I don't know what triggered these feelings, but they're real, as far as I can tell," I continued, trying to keep the confidence I had seemed to possess just a second before. "It's ok if you don't feel the same way. I understand if you're disgusted by the thought of-"

I was interrupted by a pair of soft lips meeting mine, pressing me against my pillow as Victoria leaned over so that the top part of her body was above me. I didn't even gasp, I just froze, unsure of what to do. I had only kissed one other person before, but it had been a goodbye type of thing. This was different. Like I was meeting Victoria for the first time.

She pulled away from me and I looked up at her, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Wowser," I gasped out. She giggled, shaking her head. I would've given almost anything to see her blush in that moment, but the shadows hid her face.

"I'm sorry," she said, sounding sort of breathless. "Was that too much?" She sounded nervous, but I could hear the smile in her voice. I shook my head and brought my hand up to her face, stroking her cheek with my thumb.

"No," I replied, unable to wipe the smile off of my face. "Can… can we do it again? I'm not exactly practiced." I could feel my cheeks and ears getting hot.

"We'll have to remedy that," Victoria replied, her voice sounding sort of low and dangerous. The sound of her words made my whole body get tight and awoke the butterflies in my stomach. Was this even real? She leaned down and kissed me again, longer this time. I kissed her back, feeling something new start to come alive somewhere underneath my skin. It felt like someone had lit a fire in my chest that made me crave to be so close to Victoria, to be a part of her to the point that it almost felt like desperation.

I placed my right hand behind her head, tugging a little at her perfect blond hair, my other hand on her arm because I was unsure of whether or not I should move. It was sort of awkward to kiss in this position. Victoria must've sensed my slight, however ignorable, discomfort and pulled away, sitting up in the bed. I did the same and she straddled my legs, looking down at me with her brilliant green eyes. I could feel my heart beating so hard that I could've sworn it was going to break free of my ribs.

She had her fingers in my hair, as she smiled down at me. It was a dangerous sort of smile that made my stomach do a flip. I wanted to kiss her more, but she was making me wait on purpose, letting me cool down. But I didn't want to cool down. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I pulled her close and closed the small gap between us, kissing her so hard that I had to remind myself that she was real and could probably bruise if I got too excited. I loosened my grip on her and pulled away from her.

I was struggling to catch my breath, but Victoria wouldn't give in. She shoved me down onto the bed and kissed me, cutting me off before I could speak. I couldn't help letting out a small whimper as I felt her fingers going under my top slowly. My skin caught fire wherever she touched it and I actually moaned, like in all those cheesy movies where where the less experienced one was totally unprepared. I felt her body pulling away from mine before I could react and looked up at her with a pouty look on my face. It was more played out than I meant it to be, but I couldn't help myself.

"What are we doing?" Victoria's voice broke through the gasps and pants that escaped us both. We had barely done anything, but I felt like my chest was about to explode. I was so happy and so, unbelievably warm under the blankets as well as Victoria's body. She was pressed against me still, but she had pulled back enough to speak, her nose and forehead brushing against mine.

"Well I thought we were kissing, but I think I just have a really pretty girl laying on top of me," I replied, giggling a little. Victoria just let out an amused breath and gently brushed a strand of my hair behind my ear. The gesture was small but gentle, making me let out a soft gasp at her touch.

"I just…" she hesitated, letting out a sigh. "I don't want to do this unless we've been dating because you deserve better than a spur of the moment thing." Her voice sounded so different as she spoke in that moment, like she actually cared about what she was saying. Like she actually cared about me. The sudden realization of what she was talking about hit me like a wave crashing against rocks.

"Ohhhh," I said softly, unable to stop the blush that covered my face. "Well, I've never actually done this before so it probably wouldn't be the least awkward experience." Victoria had one brow raised, looking at me with a bit of surprise.

"Really?" She asked "You've never done anything?" She said it like she almost didn't believe me and I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, I mean, I've kissed someone before, but it never really went any farther than that," I replied, gently running my right hand up and down her side as I looked away from her a little.

"Why not?" She asked, laying herself down on top of me completely, lying her head on my chest. She wasn't as heavy as I expected. I wrapped my arms around her, unable to keep myself from smiling. She seemed so comfortable, like she'd finally had some sort of release from herself. Had she had feelings for me for so long that she was willing to throw away her facade so easily? Then her question registered and I felt my breath catch in my throat.

"Uh… Well, she… She died." The words hung in the air over us like weights that threatened to drop down on us at any moment. There was a pause and I felt Victoria tense up a little, like she wanted to pull away from me. She tried a little but I just held her close. "No, it's ok." I whispered, almost desperately. Victoria was probably the best thing to happen to me since Chloe died and I wasn't about to let go of that. I wasn't going to let her go the way I'd let Chloe go. I tried to push away the tears that threatened to break me, the lump in my throat growing.

"I'm sorry, Max," Victoria's voice broke through my thoughts, the tinge of guilt in her voice made me want to cry even more. I just shook my head and buried my face in her hair, letting out a shaky breath.

"It's not your fault," I replied, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "It's my fault for not trying to save her."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Victoria's POV

Saturday, November 21st, 2013, 8:43

There was a petite warmth against me, making me smile a little as I opened my eyes, my body and mind slowly returning to the waking world. It took me a moment to remember where I was and why there was a sleeping Max Caulfield playing my little spoon. I tensed up at first before my memories returned to me. We still had all our clothes on so that was a good sign. We had just kissed and Max had started to have an anxiety attack because she started remembering Chloe and what had happened to her.

I had spent an hour or two calming her down before she finally fell asleep in my arms. I hadn't realized the extent of Max's trauma before that night. I don't really know what I had thought Max was dealing with, but it was definitely worse than I'd expected. I wasn't sure how to deal with it at first, so I just held her and let her cry, whispering to her and telling her that everything was ok. That it was over and that nothing bad would happen to her now. I knew that I couldn't really promise that stuff, but I didn't know what else to do.

Now she was asleep, cuddled up to me in the most adorable way. I had thought about moments like this one a lot, but it was so much better in real life. Normally life doesn't live up to an expectation, but this moment exceeded my expectations and then some. She was so small and peaceful looking when she slept, her chest rising and falling with each soft breath. Her hair was messier than usual, she must've stirred a bit in the night. I wanted to stay there with her forever, but I pushed the feeling away, trying to regain myself. This couldn't be a thing. I need to clear my head.

Getting out of the bed, I was careful not to move too quickly or be too loud. If Max woke up then she'd wanna talk about what happened and get all mushy on me with her stupid hipster bull shit. Getting a green sports bra and a pair of black shorts, I put them on and decided to go on a very long run. My phone was dead because I had forgotten to plug it in the night before, so I had to run without music. A damn shame, music always made me run better.

I changed next to the bed, knowing that Max was totally passed out. Even if she wasn't, it really wouldn't bother me. I wasn't too self conscious about my physical appearance as far as my body went. I knew I looked good because I worked hard at it, simple as that. Plus, I didn't have anything Max hadn't already seen considering she was a girl too. Although, I think I'd feel a little more self conscious about my body if her and I were in a relationship because then I'd have to keep up a certain appearance that she liked.

The thought made me blush and I suddenly felt like I needed to change faster. Max didn't seem like the type of person to be super concerned with physical appearance, but that didn't change the fact that physical appearance played a part in her thoughts and attraction toward another person.

After I finished changed, I looked over at the analog clock on the bedside table closest to wear Max was still fast asleep, her mouth open a little. It was almost nine so no one else was up yet. I resisted the urge to kiss Max on the cheek and left the room, letting out a sigh as the door clicked softly when it was finally closed. I walked downstairs, ignoring the strange, and slightly uncomfortable silence that filled the air. It was always eerily quiet here and being the first one up always made me feel weird. It felt like the entire world was asleep and I felt like I was disturbing it.

I got out of the cabin and already felt myself loosening up. The sounds of birds and the breeze made me feel like I wasn't the only living thing left in the universe. I stretched a little, not wanting to hurt myself for the rest of the weekend. I knew that running wasn't the healthiest work out because it was really stressful on joints and bones and stuff like that, but it was also so exhilarating to just run as fast as I could. I was fast too, it wasn't hard for me to outrun most people. I had considered joining track or cross country for awhile, but decided against it because sports interfered with my studying and photography.

After my stretches, I started to run down the path toward the lake. It was a mile from the cabin to the lake. There was also a track by the cabin, but I wanted to sit by the lake for a little while. I didn't run all that fast, deciding that this was more to clear my head than anything. This whole Max thing was going to drive me insane if I didn't keep it under wraps.

I replayed what happened that night over and over again, trying to figure out what to do. So she had told me that she liked me, God only knows why she said it to me, and then we kissed. But we didn't just kiss. We kissed a lot. It was amazing and thinking about it made my insides get tight and I had to run faster to get the feeling to go away. I had to do something. Was I supposed to talk to her about it? Ignore it? How was I supposed to ignore what happened when it was probably one of the best things that had happened to me in a really long time? Maxine Caulfield, the girl I'd had feelings for was suddenly within my reach and I had no idea whether or not to go for it.

And if I did would she even want to be with me in that way? I mean, she had kissed me and had slept next to me all night, cuddled up against me like I was the only person in the world she'd ever wanna be with. But that didn't change the fact that she'd had feelings for Chloe, Max's best friend who had been shot right in front of her by my best friend.

 _Damnit, Nate._ I thought, pushing myself as hard as I could down the dirt road towards the lake. _If you'd just let me help you. Maybe this wouldn't have happened. Then you would be here and Max's friend would still be alive._ Maybe then I never would've had to face these feelings.

I was at the lake's edge before I knew it. I stood at the edge of the water, taking off my shoes and socks, throwing them to the side. It was way hotter than I thought it would be for Oregon in November. Stepping into the water, I kept my legs moving, knowing that cooling down immediately was bad for my heart. Part of me wished that I had invited someone with me on my run. I wondered what Max would look like in an outfit like the one I was wearing now and my mind started to wander.

Max's sweaty body as she tried to regain her breath, her skin glistening from the sweat that dripped down her skin. I wondered if her whole body was covered in freckles the way her face was. If this thing between us continued then I'd have to get her to come on runs with me sometimes. She was a thin girl, but everyone needed to exercise sometimes. I had a really fast metabolism so I could eat and eat without gaining much weight and I was guessing that Max was the same way with how skinny she was considering all that junk food she always ate.

After a few minutes of slow cool down, I dove into the lake, cooling off completely. I got back out and put my shoes back on, hating the way my socks molded to my wet feet. I shook off the feeling and started running back to the cabin. I would have to face Max sooner or later and maybe I could do that now that I'd had some fresh air and time to think. I guess I would ask her if she really wanted this thing between us to go forward and if she did then for how long and if she was ok with it being a secret. I wasn't sure that I was ready to announce such a thing to all of Arcadia Bay, but I would have to if things got serious.

We could just try it out and see what happened. If it went somewhere, then it went somewhere. If not, then no one would have to know about it and everything would go back to normal. Well, for the most part, I guess. When I got back to the cabin, everyone was still asleep. Going upstairs, I opened the door to see Max still fast asleep, having changed positions since I had left. She was laying on her stomach now, drooling on her pillow a little. It was cute but also kind of gross.

I looked over at the clock. 9:12. I leaned over the bed and put my hand on Max's shoulder. I wanted to get this conversation over with as soon as possible so that I could move on with my weekend and my life. But I also didn't want to wake her yet. She was so peaceful and adorable. I was torn between just kissing her cheek and jumping in the shower and shaking her awake.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Max's POV

Saturday, November 21st, 2013, 9:15

I felt a spot of warmth on my shoulder as I slowly began to wake up. My eyes blinked open and I saw Victoria's face just in front of mine, her face glistening with sweat, I think. Or maybe it was water? I couldn't tell. I didn't have the reaction I usually get when I wake up in a strange place. I remembered very clearly what had happened the night before and I smiled when I saw Victoria's face.

"Good morning," I said groggily, my voice deeper and raspier than it usually was, like it was coated in sleep the way my brain was in that moment. Sleep was almost like this strange pool that we often sunk into, covering ourselves in this strange liquid that coated every part of us until we could barely think or move, covering almost every aspect of our physical being.

"Good morning, Maxine," she said with a soft smile before quickly standing up straight, running her fingers through her messy blond hair. It looked damp. I was so focused on her hair and face that I'd barely noticed that she was only wearing shorts and a sports bra. I looked over her exposed skin and the way the fabric of her sports bra hugged her breasts tightly against her chest. I felt my throat going dry and my insides getting tight and warm. My palms felt sweaty and I hugged the covers closer to my body.

I wanted to do things to her that I never wanted to do with anyone else, not even Chloe. I couldn't help the small groan that escaped my lips as my body started to tingle at the thought of touching her and making her feel good. My thoughts led me to an image of her laying underneath me, moaning my name as I kissed her neck and touched her in ways that made my own heart race.

"Maxine," Victoria's voice broke through my fantasy and I sat up, looking at her with a sheepish smile, probably blushing so hard that I looked more like a tomato than a person.

"Yeah?" I asked, trying to play it at least somewhat cool. I just wished that the atmosphere that had hung in the air the night before was still between us. Things just seemed a little awkward now. Like we were both fighting against what had happened. Victoria had this look on her face like she wanted to say something. She was worrying her bottom lip a little, her brows furrowed. I tilted my head a little, waiting patiently but still curious. "What's up?"

"About last night…" she said softly, looking away from me a little, her arms crossed across her stomach. "I'm sorry if it was too fast." She looked like she wanted to say more, but stopped herself. I paused, debating whether to get out of the bed or not. Did she regret what happened? The thought made it a little harder to breathe. Had my panic attack made her uncomfortable? I balled my hands into fists and stood up, pushing away the guilt that had started bubbling up in my chest.

"It wasn't too fast," I said gently as I took a step toward her. She looked up at me for a split second before looking down again.

"But you got all freaked out," she replied, her usual behavior seeming to have never existed. The shy, insecure girl that stood before me now was far from the Victoria I was used to. I didn't like the way a crease showed up between her brows because it showed that she actually felt guilty about something that she didn't cause. "I don't want to be the reason you get sad and start to freak out like that. I don't to bring all of those memories back to haunt you." She spoke quickly, like if she didn't say it fast then it would never get said. I took another step toward her and put both my hands on her shoulders, tilting my head down to catch her eye.

"Victoria," I said softly, catching her attention. Her name felt light on my tongue, like I could say it over and over again and never get tired of it. She looked up at me with those normally daunting green eyes that were now as soft as the bed I'd just been laying in. She looked so vulnerable in that moment, like my words could make or break her. "Please never think that you're the cause of anything unpleasant in my life. I hate seeing you look so dejected. What happened last night wasn't your fault. I've… I've been through a lot and sometimes things bring those memories back. You had no idea what happened to me so it's not like you tried to upset me. If anything, you made me happier than I've been in a long time." Victoria huffed a little and looked away from me.

"Cause crying yourself to sleep is what happiness looks like, right?" Her words were dry and stung a little, but she almost immediately softened up again when she looked back at me. "I'm sorry. Look, I really care about you but what if this doesn't work out?"

"This?" I asked, a little surprised. I let go of her shoulders and felt my eyebrows furrow. Victoria sighed and rolled her eyes. This was normal Queen Bee behavior now.

"You and me," she explained. "The kiss, the feelings. I want to be with you, more than I've ever wanted anything else in my whole life, but what if it doesn't work? What if I give up my reputation to be with you and then you decide that we can't be together because I'm too much of a bitch or because you realize that you deserve better and then I'll lose you and everything I worked so hard for will go away and then I'll have nothing."

"Hey, hey, hey," I said softly and wrapped my arms around her neck and pulled her into a hug. It didn't take more than a moment for her to lean into me, wrapping her around my waist and burying her head into my shoulder. "You're way overthinking this. I want to be with you, Victoria. You're so smart and talented and beautiful and an actually decent human being underneath it all." She chuckled at the last part and I smiled, pulling away a little to kiss her cheek and look into her eyes. "If this is what you want, then I'm good with that. I don't want you to feel pressured if being with me isn't worth all of the stress that it would put on you."

Saying that stuff made my heart hurt and Victoria obviously felt the same way because she looked like she was about to cry. I wanted to be worth it, I wanted to be enough for her, but I knew that life got in the way sometimes. Victoria had an eye for the big picture. She knew that the art world was fierce and that the world over all was no different, so she understood not only what dating someone below her social status would do to her future, but also what coming out to people do for her credibility is a lot of places. She was supposed to be Victoria Chase, the perfect daughter, artist and overall just a perfect human being. I could only imagine how scared she was of losing what she'd worked so hard to get because I had never cared about any of that stuff. But her and I grew up and lived in what felt like two very different worlds.

"Max," she whispered my name, touching her forehead to mine. She looked into my eyes, pulling my mind back to the present. "If you want to try this out then we should. But we can't tell anyone. At least… Not for right now." I felt my heart flutter in my chest. Was this actually happening? I was a little taken aback to be totally honest. I expected her to let me down gently and then tell me to fuck off, but she wasn't she was holding me close, telling me that I had a chance. That we had a chance.

"I'm willing if you are," I whispered. It was all I could say. My heart was beating to fast that I wasn't sure it was actually pumping blood to my brain anymore. Victoria let out a small breath, like she'd been holding it in as she waited for my response. She smiled a little and looked from my eyes to my lips.

"Can I kiss you?" She asked softly, slowly moving herself closer to me. Her chest was against mine, own hips touching as she got as close as she could. The contact made my mind go fuzzy. I just giggled like a giddy little school girl and nodded, tilting my head up as she leaned toward me to close the gap between us.

It was a soft kiss, nothing crazy, but it filled my whole body with this warmth that I had never felt before. The softness of Victoria's lips against mine made my whole body tingle and a big, hugely hormonal part of me wanted more. Wanted to get rid of any extra space between us. Wanted to take off my clothes and hers and be totally vulnerable to Queen Victoria and whatever she wanted to do to me. So I deepened the kiss, testing my luck and lack of skill. As I drew closer to her, she bit down on my bottom lip a little, causing me to gasp a little. Her hands moved down my back and onto the back of my shorts. She grabbed at me butt and pulled me close to her, making me squeak in surprise. I grabbed onto a fist full of messy, damp blond hair and tugged a little.

I felt like my heart was beating so hard that it might explode out of my chest at any moment. My stomach was in knots and there was this strange warmth that filled every part of me. She moved her right hand from my butt and slowly ran her fingers under the hem of my shirt. I moaned into the kiss as she moved her hand slowly up my side. Was I on fire? It felt like my skin was being set on fire. It felt like my entire being was being turned to a melted puddle of arousal at Victoria's touch. It made me wonder how far I was willing to go after just establishing a secret relationship with the girl that had been my bully just a week ago.

Before I could think too much into it, I heard the door slamming open and felt Victoria pushing me away. I stumbled back, falling against the bed. Luckily, I managed to make it look like I was sitting on the edge of the bed. Whether or not it looked convincing was still up for debate, but I guess it was better than being caught with Victoria's hand up my shirt. Taylor stood in the doorway with a wide eyed look on her face.

"What do you want, Taylor?" Victoria snapped at her, arms crossed over her chest.

"I just wanted to let you know that we were all gonna head down to the lake in a couple minutes if you guys wanna tag along," she said nervously, looking from Victoria to me and back. She suddenly got this smirk on her face that sent shivers down my spine. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything."

"Yeah," Victoria replied, moving toward the door. "You did. You interrupted me getting changed. Now get out of here before I smack that look right off your face." Taylor squealed and ducked out of the doorway, running down the hall. I sat on the bed, still trying to process what had just happened. Victoria started making her way to the bathroom before stopping just in front of me.

"Why do you look like your life has just flashed before your eyes, Caulfield?" She asked sharply, but it sounded a bit like she was teasing me. I looked up to see a hint of a smirk on her lips. God she looked smug. She knew that she'd gotten me off and had managed to throw Taylor off our tracks all in the span of a little over three minutes.

"Sorry," was all I could say. She chuckled and walked over to the bathroom.

"Get dressed, hipster," she called as she walked away. "Time to see you in a bathing suit." She turned and winked at me as she closed the bathroom door and I felt my heart jump into my throat. Falling back onto the bed, I rubbed my face with my hands and groaned.

Victoria Chase was my girlfriend.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Victoria's POV

Sunday, November 22nd, 2013, 5:56pm

The sun was starting to set, turning the surface of the lake gold. We had all been sitting by the lake for most of the day, same as we had done the day before. Nobody felt too inclined to do anything else except laze around and swim a little. The guys were a bit more energetic than I would've liked. Courtney and Taylor had been spending most of their time with Hayden and Zachary while Dana and Trevor were off doing whatever it was they did when they were alone. I could take a guess, but the last thing I wanted to think about was the two of them having sex in one of the expensive beds my parents had bought for the cabin.

I was sitting in a beach chair, sipping on a flavored beer that had been sitting in the fridge for the past few days. We had found raided the wine cellar the night before, but today I had wanted something a little less elegant. I watched as Max stood at the edge of the lake, taking pictures of the sun set with that prehistoric polaroid of hers. She looked so focused, so determined to get just the right shot. Almost like it was something she needed in that moment. She's been taking pictures all weekend, capturing everything she could.

It was sort of adorable but also annoying because I knew how expensive that film was and I knew that she didn't have tons of cash stowed away. I considered buying her some when we got back to Blackwell. It might be a nice "sorry I've been such a bitch and now suddenly want to date you" type present. Really, though, she had been surprisingly sweet about the whole situation. It was sort of irritating that she didn't show any type of annoyance with me or even a bit of bitterness for the way I'd treated her and was still treating her.

Sure, everyone knew that I was trying to be nicer to her, but that didn't mean that I could let up all the way. I still had to seem strong. We had actually agreed to make things go back to normal when we got to Blackwell. In the sense that I would go back to being a colossal bitch to her in public, but we would continue our romantic relationship in secret. We had agreed that if I tried being nice to her around other people then they might start to suspect something. The thought made me sigh as I sunk down farther into my chair.

I didn't want my relationship with Max to be a secret. I would scream it from the rooftops if I could. She deserved someone who wasn't afraid to be seen with her, but she showed no signs of being against it. I guess that's what made it all so difficult. I knew that she wasn't telling me the whole truth. She was hiding something and didn't want to tell me. I mean, I understood why. It was only fair. I was keeping my feelings for her a secret from almost everyone so she was keeping secrets from me.

We had talked a lot about the whole situation the night before, discussing boundaries and how we would behave in certain places around certain people at certain times. We also decided not to have sex for now. Max was still in almost every aspect of the word and I didn't want to pressure her into anything. I mean, I was a virgin too, but I had done way more than Max had ever done. I had basically done everything except have sex. I really can't explain why. I had just never felt the need to and hadn't really wanted to with anyone.

But that changed that weekend. After that kiss on Saturday morning, one of the only things I could think about was sleeping with Max, kissing her, touching every part of her. I wanted to fuck her so hard that she couldn't even walk, but I didn't know why and it was driving me crazy.

Taking a long swig of my beer, I tried to think of anything else, but my eyes were glued to Max's body. She wasn't wearing anything fancy, just a black one piece bathing suit, but I could see almost every curve of her petite frame as she stood in the rays of the setting sun. Her brown hair was damp because she had just gotten finished swimming a couple minutes before that very moment. I watched as small water droplets slowly made their way down her skin, wishing that I could feel her skin on my fingertips as the drops trailed down her body.

As I stared moony eyed at Max, I hadn't noticed Taylor walk up behind me, jumping as she put her hand on my shoulder, disturbing my thoughts.

"What do you want?" I growled, glad that I hadn't spilled the remains of my beer from the jump. Taylor giggled and knelt down next to me. She looked from my face, which was growing warm from embarrassment, to Max's profile as she searched for her perfect shot.

"A bit of an explanation would be nice," she replied, folding her arms and setting them on my armrest. She had this smug look on her face, like she deserved to know what was going on in my head. I was torn between telling her my fantasies in graphic detail to freak her out and get her to leave me alone and staying quiet. Max and I had promised not to tell anyone about our relationship and that's how it was going to stay.

"You already have your explanation," I replied, trying to keep my voice down. The guys and Courtney were getting out of the lake and heading back to the cabin. That must've been why Taylor thought it was a good time to interrogate me on my love life. "Nothing's changed since I last told you about my feelings for that piece of hipster trash, so can we just drop it?" I hated calling Max that, but I had to make this convincing. Taylor just rolled her eyes and stood.

"Fine," she said curtly. "When you get that stick out of your ass you can tell me why you're acting so weird." She walked away and I let out a semi relieved sigh. I knew that I'd have to tell her something eventually, but for now, I just had to stop myself from chugging the rest of my beer.

Everyone started heading back up to the cabin and I forced myself to wait until they had rounded a corner before getting out of my chair and making my way toward Max. I just needed to kiss her, release some of this tension and move on with my evening. As I got closer, Max turned around and gave me that wide eyed smile that she got when she was pleasantly surprised. How does one person manage to be so goddamn adorable and sexy all at once?

"Oh, hey, Tor-" I cut her off, cupping her cheeks in my hands and pulling her into a kiss. She gasped in surprise, but didn't pull away. Her lips were a little chapped from lack of water and the sun. She obviously hadn't been hydrating enough, but I was probably thirsty enough for the both of us in that moment. I moved on hand into her hair and the other to her waist, pulling her as close to me as I could. It was a hard, frustration fueled kiss and I could feel Max caving as I held her against me. When I pulled away, it took me a moment to catch my breath and Max looked like she was about to pass out.

"What was that for?" she managed to gasp out. I still had my hand on her waist and was moving the other down her side.

"What?" I asked, grinning a little at the confused look in her eyes. "Am I not allowed to kiss my girlfriend?"

"I never said that," she replied with a small laugh.

"Good," I replied softly, leaning down to kiss her again. This kiss was softer, slower. I moved my hands so that they connected against her back and pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around my neck, polaroid still in hand. I was so busy kissing her that I almost didn't notice the click and flash of her camera as it went off. I pulled away, surprised as Max pulled a developing photo from her camera and shook it to help it dry.

"What the hell, Max?" I had to stop myself from shouting. She just giggled and looked down at the photo.

"What?" She asked, looking up at me from the picture. "Am I not allowed to take pictures with my girlfriend?" I was torn. I wanted to be angry, tell her that if this was going to be kept a secret then we needed to be more careful, not have photographic evidence of our relationship. But she looked so happy and my heart melted when she called me her girlfriend. Maxine Caulfield was my girlfriend. My adorable, dorky little hipster girlfriend. I felt something strange swelling in my chest. Was it joy? It felt like pure, bright happiness filling me up the way a person filled a glass with water. I couldn't help the smile that snuck onto my lips and I felt myself starting to blush.

"You've got a point, Caulfield," I said with a small laugh and pulled her close to me, taking the camera from her hands. I held it in front of us, the lense facing us. "Smile, dork." I leaned my head against hers and smiled, clicking the button. When the picture came out, I shook it a couple times and looked down at it then up at Max with a smile. "Here. You take this one and I'll take the other one." I held out the photo to her and she smiled, taking it in her small hands and handed me the other picture.

"You ready to go back to the cabin?" She asked. I groaned and tried to put on my best pouty face.

"But if we stay here I can kiss you some more," I said with a small frown on my face. Max just giggled and started walking back to the path. As she took a few steps, I grabbed her wrist and tugged a little. It was enough to get her to stop and turn around again, but not enough to hurt her, I hope. "Come one," I whispered, trying to take the seductive route. "Just a little?" I saw Max's throat bob as she swallowed hard. I couldn't help grinning a little as I took a step toward her, my hand moving from her wrist to her hand. I leaned in and kissed her, tracing my tongue along her bottom lip. She moaned a little and opened her mouth, letting her tongue slip into my mouth as I let my other hand move behind her back, pulling her against me. She pulled away from me, breathing heavily.

"Tori, we really should get back," she said between breathes. I kissed her cheek, placing kisses down her jaw and neck.

"But I miss you," I said, kissing up to her ear. She gasped sharply and I took her earlobe between my teeth and tugged gently.

"But they'll miss us," she gasped out. I let go of her ear and got my mouth close to her ear.

"So?" I whispered. She quivered against my touch and I felt like someone was pouring molten lava into the pit of my stomach. I loved the way she squirmed against me. "If you don't want this, tell me no. I won't be upset." I said softly and kissed her cheek before kissing her lips again.

"You know that I want this," she replied shakily. "But we don't want them to get suspicious."

"I'll just tell them that you wanted to take more pictures and that I didn't want you walking back in the dark by yourself," I told her, moving my hand to the shoulder strap of her bathing suit. She moaned a little as I brought my index finger underneath the strap and pulled it down her shoulder a little. "We won't have sex, we'll just explore a little. I've never done anything with a girl before."

"Victoria," she gasped as I kissed her collarbone, leaving little bites along it. "We can do whatever you want tonight, but please, can we at least go back to the cabin first? I don't want the first time we do this to be standing in the open." She had a good point so I sighed and pulled away, still holding her hand.

"Alright," I said with a small smile. "I understand. We'll go back to the cabin and hang out with everyone for an hour or so, but then you're going to say you don't feel well and I'll say that I'm too tired to stay up." I gave her a smirk and noticed that she was blushing harder than I'd ever seen her blush before. I really must've done a number on her to make her so red.

"Deal," she said with a bit of smirk on her face. She was just as excited as I was, apparently. And that really only made me want her more.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Max's POV

Sunday, November 22nd, 2013, 7:03pm

Being a teenager with raging hormones can make a person feel like they're losing their mind. Being a teenager with hormones and is also in the beginning stages of a relationship with someone they've had feelings for for a long time is even worse. I thought I was losing my mind when I found out that I could rewind time. This wasn't as bad, not as earth shattering, but it was just as distracting. I was sitting in the kitchen of the Chase family cabin, staring at the most beautiful girl I had ever seen in my entire life.

Victoria Chase with her perfect blond, pixie cut hair, slender but toned body that was covered only by a pair of tiny shorts and a black tank top, brilliant green eyes that could pierce through steel and features so sharp that she looked like she could've been made of marble. I was a schmuck in comparison. My short brown hair was always messy, I always had dark circles under my eyes from lack of sleep because of the nightmares and I was so thin that I had often been asked if I ate enough on a day to day basis. Which I did, by the way. I just had a really fast metabolism.

I was sitting at the bar at the edge of the kitchen, my leg bouncing up and down as my foot rested on one of the legs of my stool. I looked at my girlfriend who was standing across the kitchen talking to Taylor. They were whispering about something as everyone else drank whatever alcohol they'd managed to find in the basement. I was sure that Tori's parents would be really happy about that. Maybe they wouldn't even notice?

Dana came over and leaned her back against the bar, looking at me with a concerned look on her face.

"Are you ok, Max?" She asked, following me gaze. Her words pulled me from my thoughts and I nodded, letting out a sigh.

"Yeah," I replied with a small smile. "Why?" She chuckled and grinned at me.

"Maybe because you've been staring at Victoria for the past twenty minutes like your life depended on it," she replied, handing me a small shot glass full of something that was a weird orangish brown color. I looked up at her, confused.

"I have?" I asked then turned my attention to the shot. "What even is that?"

"Fireball," she said with a smirk. "You looked thirsty so I thought I'd give you this to help you loosen up and get over there already. Maybe you can get her drunk and get yourself some much needed sexual release." I let out a nervous laugh and felt myself starting to blush. Dana had no idea that I didn't need to get Victoria drunk. I wasn't sure why, but for some reason Victoria had a hard time keeping her hands off of me. And I'm not just saying that because I'm all confident and shit. Victoria had a harder time keeping her affections a secret than I did. There had been multiple times that she'd tried to feel me up when we were in the room with everyone else. Even though they weren't paying attention, it was nerve racking. I think she got off on the idea of almost getting caught. That's a thing, right?

"You gonna do the shot or not, Caulfield?" I heard Tori's voice say as she walked over. Had I been staring at her this whole time? She had this smirk on her face, a lot like the one she pulled when she used to make fun of me. Was she challenging me?

"Well, I've never actually had alcohol before," I admitted shyly, looking down at the tiny glass then back up to Tori. She had this look in her eyes, like she was softening up, but she still had that smirk on her lips. She was doing her best to hide her concern.

"Fireball is one of the easiest things to drink," she said, picking up her own glass that was filled with wine. When she picked it up, she had accidently (or so I thought) dipped her index and middle finger into the pale yellow liquid. With a small grin, she brought her fingers to her mouth and licked the wine off of them, her lips taking both fingers into her mouth as she sucked the bitter drink from her skin. "Plus, you don't want to seem like a pussy, right Maxine?"

 _Oh my god… Kill me… Just kill me now…_ I thought, swallowing hard. _She did that on purpose. She's trying to break me._ I felt my stomach fill with butterflies as I picked up the shot glass, trying my best to pretend like I wasn't affected by the way Tori was eyeing me. Without a word, I put the glass to my lips and poured the liquid into my mouth, swallowing as quickly as I could. I set the glass on the counter and coughed, the liquid burning my throat as it made its way down into my stomach, making the butterflies flutter harder.

I looked up to see Tori with a shocked look on her face, but it only lasted for a second before she regained herself. She stood up straight and picked up her glass, her normal resting bitch face returning to her. My heart was pounding a little from everything that was going on. I just wanted to jump across the counter and tackle Tori to the ground, make her mine right here, right now. But I just stayed where I was, watching her as she slowly made her way out of the kitchen.

"Well, I'd love to stay and watch Max get shit faced, but I think I've had quite enough for today," she said as she walked out. I sat there, totally dumbfounded. Was she going through with our plan? I felt Dana rubbing my back and I coughed a little.

"I think I'm gonna head up too," I said softly, trying to look somewhat sickly. "I'm not feeling too well. I'll see you guys in the morning." I didn't wait for anyone to respond, just made my way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. It took every bit of my willpower not to run to where I knew Tori was. I really hoped that she was going through with our plan. Looking back on it, I'm not really sure if she had been joking or not.

When I got to the door, I knocked softly, not wanting to barge in just in case. I heard Tori shuffle behind the door.

"Who is it?" she called from the other side of the door.

"It's me," I said. The door swung open and I was suddenly being dragged into the room by the collar of my t shirt. The door closed behind me and I turned just in time to get tackled by my girlfriend. She shoved me onto the bed and looked down at me with this hungry look that made me whimper a little.

"You're a brave little hipster, aren't you?" she asked, moving up onto the bed and straddling my hips. I swallowed hard, my throat still burning a little.

"You're the one with did that little flirty thing with the wine or whatever," I said, my heart racing in my chest. Tori was looking at me like all she wanted was to tear me apart and I kinda loved it. She smirked and leaned down, giving me a soft, short kiss. I groaned in protest as she pulled away.

"Hey," she said sharply, smacking my hand away from her thigh. "You'll get your turn. But for now, it's my turn to explore you." She had this smirk on her face that made my insides tie themselves in knots. "And be sure that you don't make any noise. This room is well known for its acoustics. You can hear almost anything over a whisper if you're just below it, which the kitchen just so happens to be." I felt myself shaking a little.

"I hate you, you're such a fucking tease." There wasn't as much bite in it as there needed to be, but I couldn't bring myself to care all that much. I was too focused on the fact that Tori was playing with the hem of my shirt.

"Where am I not allowed to go?" she asked, looking a little more serious, but still sexy as hell. I forced my mind to work even though it practically screamed in protest.

"As long as your hands don't touch anything in my shorts we should be ok," I replied, the sentence sounding silly as I spoke it. What was I so afraid of? It's not like I would get pregnant. But we had only just started this thing, so I didn't want to rush too much. This was already so much farther than I ever thought I'd go. Tori nodded and leaned down, kissing me softly.

"Just say stop if it's too much," she told me softly, looking into my eyes. She had a different look to her in that moment. Her gaze was gentle and her lips were pursed in what seemed like a concerned line. I just nodded and smiled a little. She gave me a small smile and leaned down to kiss me again, her left hand cupping my cheek. I felt my body starting to heat up again as she bit down on my lip. I let out a soft gasp, remembering that I had to stay quiet.

She kissed my cheek, moving down my jaw and neck again, making me feel weak. I was glad that we were laying in a bed, otherwise I think I would've almost fallen over. She kissed up my neck and whispered in my ear.

"Do you wanna keep your shirt on or can I take it off?" She asked softly, tugging gently at my punny t shirt. I opened my eyes and looked up at her, she had paused as was legitimately asking for my permission.

"Go for it," I finally replied. My heart was racing, everything seemed to be spinning. I knew that I wasn't drunk because I had only had one shot, but I felt like I was buzzed and then some. Tori had me sit up and grabbed at the end of my shirt, slowly pulling it over my head. I had decided to forgo the bra when I had changed earlier because I was lazy, but in that moment my laziness had actually come in handy. Throwing the shirt on the floor, Tori smiled as she looked me up and down. I felt my whole body getting hot as she examined me.

"Damnit, Maxine," she whispered, shoving me back down against the mattress to get a better look at me. "I knew that you were hot, but I didn't know that you could get hotter." I felt everything in body tighten. She looked into my eyes and leaned down to kiss me again, harder this time. I could feel myself melting beneath her as she kissed me. Her fingertips were moving along my stomach and I quivered under her touch. She was so beautiful so powerful. I felt my body giving in to her as she pulled her lips from mine and kissed down my sternum to my stomach.

I gasped, holding back a moan as she left tiny bites on my skin. Moving up to my neck, she started to bite and suck in one spot, right where my neck and shoulder connected. I whimpered, gripping at the sheets underneath me. I felt a heat rising deep inside me, making me clench my eyes shut. I wanted so much more, but she was teasing me. I felt her nails ghosting against my side, going up until they were at my breast. I gasped sharply as she gently started kneading the at the soft flesh. She still hadn't stopped sucking and biting the same spot on my neck. She pulled away from my skin for a moment and gave me a small look.

"Tell me if it hurts," she whispered kissed me softly. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you."

"But it's still on the list," I replied breathlessly, not totally sure why I felt the need to reply. But she chuckled and shook her head.

"You're impossible," she said, kissing me again and gently dragging her nails against my side. I gasped, clutching at the sheets as a wave of heat rushed through me. Tori froze and smirked down at me. "Oh, you liked that, huh?" She whispered, gently dragging her nails against my stomach. I had to bite my cheek to keep myself from moaning. I couldn't explain why it felt so good, but it did and I loved it. I heard her chuckle and she started kissing my neck again.

I loved the way she kissed me. I could feel myself falling apart with every kiss and it took everything I had not to voice my feelings on the subject. Giving my neck another bite, Tori let go of me and sat up, still straddling me. I looked up at her in slight disbelief.

"Is that it?" I asked, my voice a little more high pitched than I meant it to be. Tori chuckled and ran her fingers through her hair.

"You want more?" she asked. I sat up and collided my lips with hers, wrapping my arms around her waist. I found myself grabbing at the back of her tank top, wishing that I could tear it to shreds. Tori groaned a little, barely able to keep it quiet. She got her fingers into my hair, tugging at it a little.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked, breathing like I'd just been on a run. Tori nodded, a big grin on her face.

"If I keep my hand out of your shorts can I try something?" She asked. I felt myself tense up. I wasn't really opposed to the idea and that's what scared me. I had never learned where the line was when it came to having sex with a girl. It was simple with guys, but girls had the same equipment to work with so it was different. In that moment, I considered sex to be two people getting naked and getting each other to climax, but I wasn't sure. "It's ok if you're not ok with that."

"No," I said quickly, pulling her close. "I… Yeah, I'm ok with it. Just… don't go too crazy." She just scoffed in amusement and rolled her eyes.

"Are you doubting me?" she asked, mock offended. I shook my head and chuckled.

"Shut up and get to work," I said jokingly, but Tori looked like she had just been so embarrassed that her whole world would fall apart she was blushing so hard. I tensed up and started talking fast. "No, wait, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"No, Max, it's ok," she said with a bit of a smile. "I… Kinda like it when you tell me what to do…"

"Why?" I asked, feeling confused. "You hate when people tell you what to do."

"Well," she hesitated. "You're usually so submissive in most things. It's kind of sexy when you take charge…" I couldn't help laughing a little.

"Really?" I asked, still trying to confirm that what I was hearing was real. Tori just blushed and nodded, not meeting my eyes. "Hey," I said and tilted her chin up so that she had to look at me. "If that's something you like then let's do it."

"What do you mean?" she asked skeptically, eyeing me. I couldn't help grinning a little as I brought my hands down her sides and found them moving up her back under her tank top.

"Maybe I wanna be in charge for a little bit," I whisper and kiss along her collarbone. She let out a small moan and tilted her head back. I couldn't help the satisfaction that welled up in my chest. I had her stand up and I stood up as well, kissing her as I moved her backwards little by little. I helped her get her tank top off and threw it to the floor as her back connected with the door of the room. I pulled away to get a look at her and grinned. She blushed and looked away from me.

"Hey," I whispered, grabbing onto her hips. "You're beautiful, Tori. Don't be so self conscious."

"Shut up," she whined, blushing even more. "I'm not used to this."

"Then I guess we'll have to do this sort of thing a lot," I replied as I kissed her softly. She looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Who knew Maxine Caulfield could be so smooth?" She said with a giggle, wrapping her arms around my neck. I smiled and kissed up her arm until I reached her shoulder then made my way to her lips again.

"I'm only this smooth because it's easier when I'm with you," I said softly, messing with the waistband of her shorts.

Most of that night was spent in a similar fashion. We didn't go all the way, we just kind of spent time kissing, seeing where the other liked being touched most, what got us the hottest. It was probably about two in the morning before we fell asleep. That night is always strange to look back on because it was the closest I'd ever been to another person before. It was this weird combination of love and care along with pure sexual desire. I had never felt anything like it before and I wanted more of it if I could get it.

Unfortunately, my relationship with Victoria would rarely be that carefree again once we got back to Blackwell.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Victoria's POV

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2013, 4:12pm

In the weeks since that weekend at the lake, things had gotten really stressful. What with finals and the end of the semester, Max and I had spent very little time together. I mean, we'd had a few study dates every now and again, but those either ended up being make out sessions or we ended up studying until we passed out on the floor of my bedroom. I missed spending time with her and had planned to ask her out for a little dinner date for Christmas Eve since neither of us had been able to go home for the holidays. My parents were on some sort of trip to New York to visit some gallery. Honestly, I didn't really care what they were doing. Christmas with the Chase family was never really that exciting anyway.

I sort of hoped that Max and I could spend Christmas together this year. I mean, I know that we hadn't been dating for very long and the whole thing was still a secret, but maybe we would be able to spend more time together since there were all of four people left of campus, us being two of them.

I was sitting at my desk in my dorm, aimlessly scrolling through social media while trying to gather some small amount of courage. I knew that Max wouldn't be a bitch if she didn't want to spend Christmas with me, but I also really wanted her to say yes. I had spent an entire day with Kate trying to find Max the perfect gift and hadn't anything that lived up to my expectation. I ended up buying her a box of cookies, hoping that our little inside joke would come off as cute instead of me just being the worst girlfriend on the planet.

Picking up my phone, I clicked on Max's contact that read "Hipster Trash" with a heart emoji at the end of it. That way when I got texts people wouldn't suspect them to be either really adorable and mushy or way too sexual to even open until I was alone. Max has this thing where she would always try to flirt with me over text if we hadn't had any alone time for a day or two. It was always something either really dirty that made my stomach fill with butterflies or something really stupid sounding.

Me: Hey, you around?

Hipster Trash: yea wanna come over?

Me: Sure, be there in a sex

Me: Sec*

Me: Damn autocorrect

Hipster Trash: awwwwww, i thought i was gonna get some action! x(

Me: In your dreams. 3

Shutting my computer, I checked my make up in my mirror before crossing the hall to Max's room. The door was cracked open, like she had left it like that just for me. I smiled at the thought and walked in to see Max sitting on the edge of her bed with her guitar in her hands. She looked up and smiled when she saw me. Setting the guitar down, she stood and kissed me.

"Hey, gorgeous," she said with a smirk on her face. "How's it going?" I rolled my eyes at the greeting even though it made my face heat up.

"It's going fine," I replied, unable to stop myself from smiling. I wanted to keep up some sort of front around Max sometimes, but I just couldn't do it. She was so adorable and could be surprisingly smooth. "I actually wanted to ask you out to dinner tomorrow night. I thought we could go out to dinner and a movie or something. Maybe we could spend an evening in Portland?" The Portland thing just sort of came to me out of nowhere, but it seemed like a good idea. "Maybe we could stay in Portland for Christmas."

Max raised her eyebrows in surprise as sat back down on her bed.

"You wanna spend Christmas together?" She asked, almost like it was the last thing she would've expected. I suddenly regretted asking and crossed my arms over my chest.

"Well, I mean, if you don't want to then that's fine," I said dryly, trying to act like it wasn't that big of a deal. "It was just a suggestion. I'd be paying for the hotel and everything, of course so you don't have to worry about the money. I just thought it might be nice to spend some time together. Plus, spending Christmas alone sucks." Max chuckled and stood up again, taking my hand in hers and bringing it up to her lips. She kissed the back of my hand softly and smiled at me.

"I would love to spend Christmas with you, Tori," she said, pulling me into a hug. I let out a small sigh and relief and hugged her tight. How did she always manage to calm me down so quickly?

"Good," I said softly and kissed the top of her head. "Otherwise I'd have to take back your gift."

 _Damn it, Victoria!_ I scolded myself. Why couldn't I just keep my mouth shut? Now Max would be expecting something amazing when all I had for her was a box of chocolate chip cookies.

"You didn't have to get me anything!" She protested, but she had the most excited smile on her face. "Christmas with my amazing girlfriend is the best gift I could get." I felt myself relaxing a little, smiling at the thought of spending the holidays with Max. She was so cute and excitable sometimes. She pulled away from me a little and kissed me again and I felt myself melting from the heat of her body against mine. I hadn't realized how cold it was until Max sat back down on her bed, the parts of me she had touched suddenly exposed to the cold air.

"How long have you played?" I asked, pointing to the guitar. I knew that she played, but we'd never really had much time to talk about it. She looked at her guitar, picking it up off the ground and laying it in her lap.

"My dad taught me to play when I was a kid and I haven't stopped since," she said, running her fingers along the pale wood. "Do you play?" She asked, looking up at me. I shook my head as I sat down next to her.

"I took piano lessons when I was younger, but I was never any good," I replied, thinking back to the countless hours of practice that had eventually gone to waist. "I haven't played since I left Seattle."

"We'll have to get you playing again then," Max said with a smile. "That way we can play together." I blushed and couldn't help giggling a little.

"I would like that," I replied and kissed her cheek. "Now get packed, we have a really awesome Christmas to get ready for." I kissed her and stood up when she grabbed my wrist before I could take a step away.

"Tori," her voice was small as she spoke. I turned around, my brow furrowed.

"Yeah?" I asked, stepping close to her. She was still sitting on the bed, taking both my hands in hers.

"I'm really sorry that I haven't told you everything," she said softly. I felt my heart sink a little. Was she talking about everything that happened to Chloe?

"You don't have to tell me everything, Max," I replied, taking my right hand from hers and brushing a strand of dark brown hair behind her ear. "If you're ready to tell me then you can, but I don't want to make you feel like you owe me your secrets just because we're dating."

"But I want to be honest with you," she said softly, leaning her forehead against my stomach. "You deserve to know the truth." her voice cracked a little as she spoke. "Because I really care about you. I'm just afraid that the truth will hurt more than it helps." I knelt down and caught Max's gaze, trying to show her just what I was feeling in case my words didn't convey my feelings completely.

"It's ok, Max," I said softly, trying to smile a little. "I'm here when you're ready." She looked away from me and let out a small breath.

"I… There's one thing that I kinda want to tell you," she hesitated, her voice shaking.

"What's that?" I asked, kissing her hand softly. I felt surprisingly calm in that moment. I had to be. Max needed someone to be stable for her when she couldn't be stable for everyone else.

"I… I love you, Victoria," she said softly, her soft blue eyes meeting mine. "I'm in love with you."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Max's POV

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2013, 4:25pm

"I… I love you Victoria," I said, my voice shaking more than I thought possible. I was so scared that I could've sworn I was going to pass out. "I'm in love with you." I'm not sure why I felt the need to add the last bit, but it helped me feel better for some reason. I thought maybe repeating myself would make up for the fact that I could barely say the words out loud at all. She looked oddly calm, like I hadn't just said something that might make or break our relationship. It was weird at first, but after a moment, I was glad that she was so calm. It was better than her getting angry or freaked out. "Is that ok?" I asked, feeling like an eternity had passed, even though I'm sure that it hadn't even been a couple seconds.

"Of course it's ok, you dork," she said with a big smile and a laugh. "I love you too." I'm pretty sure that my heart exploded inside my chest. I think I might've died.

"Really?" I asked, getting up from where I sat on my bed. She giggled, smiling bigger than I'd ever seen her smile. It made me feel like my whole body with filled to the brim with happiness when she smiled. I wrapped my arms around her neck and kissed her hard. She gasped a little before kissing me back, her hands on my hips. I felt like my whole world was starting to come back together. I don't really know how healthy it was for me to be so in love with a person, but it felt amazing.

After everything that had happened back in October, I had been pretty sure that my life would never really be stable again. But Victoria somehow made me feel like my life had some sort of meaning again. I knew that my life had more to it than just my girlfriend, but she was who I needed when I needed them because she could calm me down and keep me focused. Ever since I'd been with her, my grades had never been better and I'd never taken such great photos in my life. I just hoped that I was doing the same for her.

I just wished that I could tell her everything that had happened. Maybe I would tell her when we got back from our trip to Portland for the holidays. I had pulled away from the kiss and was trying to catch my breath when I heard Tori laugh a little. I looked up at her and smiled.

"What's so funny?" I asked. She leaned in and kissed me again. I loved how soft her lips were.

"I'm just so lucky to have found someone so beautiful is all," she said with a smile. Her words made my heart flutter in my chest.

"You really think I'm beautiful?" I asked, a little shocked by it. I had never imagined that Victoria would think I was beautiful. She was so out of my league as far as looks went. She was always perfect, even when she wasn't trying to be, which was rare. She was amazing at everything she did, the best at everything she wanted to do because that's just how she was. I only tried at something when it interested me and I certainly didn't feel beautiful. I mean, I was comfortable in my body, but I didn't have any illusions about being stunning or anything like that. I suddenly felt Victoria's hands reaching around my waist, her fingers slowly fingering their way under my shirt. I gasped a little as her fingertips met my skin.

"You're so beautiful, Maxine," she whispered, kissing me and then my neck. I tilted my a little to give her more access. She moved up to my ear, leaving little love bites. "And sexy." She kissed my earlobe. "And talented." She bit my ear a little, making me moan. There was no one else in the girls dorms so I didn't have to be super quiet here. "And smart." Her voice made me quiver and I felt my knees getting weak. How did she always manage to do this to me?

"Fuck," I breathed as she got her hands under the back of my shirt and gently drug her nails down my skin. "How do you always know just how to get to me?" I gasped out as she made her way down to my collar bone.

"I know your weak spots," she said as she bit my shoulder, moving my t shirt out of the way a little. I felt my insides getting warm as she hands traveled over me. I wanted to do something, anything to make her feel the way I felt in that moment, but I could barely remember to breath, let alone how to be somewhat sexy.

"D - do you wanna sleep over?" I asked, trying to keep my throat from going completely dry while also trying to regain some semblance of my self control. "We could watch a movie or I could play something for you." One of her hands was traveling down my back to my jeans. When it got there, I felt her fingers playing with my waistband. I moaned at her touch, my skin burning. I wanted her to keep going, but I felt myself getting nervous. "Tori." I gasped out her name. Pulling away, she locked eyes with me, her gaze concerned.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, her brows furrowed. Did she feel guilty? "Was that too much?"

"No no no," I said quickly, even more nervous than before. "I'm just tired and don't want us to go all the way yet, you know? Especially not here."

"Would you rather we do it in your parent's house or something?" she asked jokingly, making me blush but also laugh a little.

"No way, you perv!" I laughed and shoved her playfully. "I just think that we should do it somewhere that isn't school. I don't know, it would just feel weird to lose my virginity at my high school of all places." Victoria looked sort of confused. I couldn't tell if she knew I was lying or not, but she didn't question me any further. The truth was, I was scared shitless. I hadn't studied or even had a chance to talk much about it with her. I wanted our first time to be special and I wanted to do well.

We ended up laying in my bed and watching some old movie on my computer. It was actually really nice for the two of us to just talk and relax a bit. Plus, I got to watch a sleepy Tori nod off in my arms, which was totally priceless.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Victoria's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 8:32am

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," a soft voice made its way through my barrier of rest. I groaned, burying my head into Max's chest. She giggled, shaking me a little by the shoulder. "Come on, we have to get going if we wanna be able to start the Christmas Eve fun."

"Fuck off, Caulfield," I growled, pulling her as close as I could. She chuckled and pulled away enough to kiss me. The warmth of her lips jolted me a little. She was so warm and sweet, her arms wrapped around me. Maybe I wouldn't mind waking up early if she kissed me awake.

"I know, I hate waking you so early, especially since you're so cute when you're asleep," her voice sounded light and gave me tiny shivers down my spine. I looked up at her, opening my eyes a little.

"You really think so?" I asked, unable to stop myself. She gave me a smile and kissed my cheek. Her eyes were so bright and filled with this happiness I'd never seen in her before.

"You're only the cutest sleeper in the whole damn world," she said with a grin. "The only reason I woke you up so early was to hear that sexy rasp in your voice." I felt a warmth rising in my stomach at her words.

"You're just saying that to make me wake up," I retorted, flopping onto my back. I rubbed my face with my hands and then ran my fingers through my hair. I probably looked like shit. I felt like I could've slept forever. Max moved so that she was slightly on top of me, smirking down at me.

"I mean it," she said softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. The feeling of her fingertips against my skin made me take in a sharp breath. She was looking down at me with this strange protective look in her eyes. "You're so amazingly beautiful, Tori." The sound of my nickname on her lips made me feel a tingly in my gut. My face got warm as I reached up and cupped her cheek with my hand.

"Say it again," I said softly, watching her gaze as it flicked from my eyes to my lips as I spoke. She smiled and leaned down to kiss me. It was a soft, warm kind of kiss. Like she was treating me as though I were something to be treasured. It made my heart ache but also made me so happy that I could barely contain myself. When she pulled away, she rested her forehead against mine. My eyes were closed, savoring the tingling that lingered on my lips.

"You're beautiful, Victoria Maribeth Chase," her voice broke through my shield of bliss, becoming part of my protection from the rest of my world. In that moment, and many others, Max was the barrier that stood between me and a world that hated everyone who dared defy it. I'd had a dream once that she was standing just in front of me, arms held out on either side of her, like the way all those churches depicted Jesus on the cross and stuff. But it was different. In all those stories, Jesus was protecting the world. In my dream, Max was protecting me. The world was on fire behind her, swallowing everything and everyone that was in it. I remember the way she lifted her head to look at me. The way she'd promised that she would never let anyone hurt me.

"Hey," she giggled, kissing my forehead. "You didn't fall asleep, did you?" When I opened my eyes, she was right where she'd been when I'd closed my eyes. She was right next to me, her upper half leaning over me as she balanced her head on her hand that was held up by one of her bony elbows. I smiled and shook my head.

"No way," I said softly, propping myself up on my elbows and she sat up. "You wanted to hear my raspy sleep voice and I have to be awake to talk, right?" She chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"You think you're hot shit, don't you?" She asked, climbing over me to get out of her bed. When she stood, I sat up and ran my fingers through my hairs again, grinning a little.

"Well, you seem to think I'm pretty hot," I replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm just going with the role I seem to have been assigned by the almighty Maxine Caulfield." She rolled her eyes and laughed, going to her closet. "We are so going shopping when we get to Portland. I can't believe I still haven't taken you shopping."

"Maybe I don't like shopping," she said as she searched through her closet. Her sense in fashion really was a damn shame, but I had to admit that the fact she didn't give a shit was pretty awesome. Plus, her pun shirts could be funny and her style seemed to fit her well, made her approachable in a way.

"If you let me take you clothes shopping, I will let you take me to something dorky that you like," I offered, leaning forward to prop my elbows on my knees and rested my chin in my hands. She turned to me for a moment, a suspicious look on her face.

"Like what?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest. I must've rubbed off on her a little because it was rare for her to stand like that around anyone, even me and she was normally very open about most of her emotions when we were together compared to when I saw her around most of our classmates. It made me smile a little because I knew that she trusted me.

"Whatever you want, babe," I said with a smirk. "Or, maybe you're looking for memories instead of something you can buy?" I asked, leaning back a little in her bed, tilting my head to the side as I spread my legs apart a little. It wasn't much, but it was enough to make her cheeks go red almost immediately. We still hadn't had sex, even after last night. I didn't mind, but fuck I was so excited in that moment that I would've let her do whatever she wanted. I saw Max swallow hard as her arms fell to her sides.

"This isn't your Christmas present is it?" she asked, finally able to speak. I frowned a little at the way she said it, almost like she didn't want me in that way. She must've seen my slight change of mood as I sat up straight again because she walked over to me and put her hands on my shoulders. "I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry. I was joking. If you want to... w - we can do it." She said the last sentence sort of slow and stuttery. I sighed and shook my head.

"Max, I don't want to make you have sex with me if you don't want to," I said, trying to think of more to say when she interrupted me.

"Tori, of course I want to," she said softly, kneeling down in front of my. "I love you. You've been one of the only things I can think about for a long time. I want to be that close to you. I want… I want to give you everything I have. I'm just scared." I was taken aback by that last part. She wasn't looking at me, like she was afraid to see my face after her little confession.

"Hey," I said sharply, but only sharp enough to get her attention. "Why are you scared?" Her gaze flicked from me to the floor and then her wall, basically anywhere but my eyes.

"I just don't want to disappoint you," she said sheepishly, her cheeks getting red again. I couldn't help laughing a little as I put my fingers under her chin to lift her gaze to mine.

"There is no way in hell that you could ever disappoint me, Maxine Caulfield," I told her, hoping that I sounded reassuring. "If you can do to my downstairs lips what you do to my upstairs ones, I'll probably be on bedrest for a couple days." The idea made my stomach fill with butterflies and Max blushed so hard I could've sworn that her face would've stayed that color. "I love you, Max. So what if you kinda suck at it at first? We can always practice. We have the rest of the winter holiday all to ourselves. Hell, I wouldn't even complain if you wanted to stay in the hotel room all day just to get your technique right."

"Maybe we can try tonight?" She asked tentatively, fidgeting with the leg of my pajama pants. "If you want to. Because I want to. It would be like we're actually adults and all that stuff." She looked so vulnerable in that moment. I smiled and nodded, kissing her softly.

"I would love that," I said as I went in for another kiss. I really hoped that she was ready. I didn't want to push her any farther than she wanted to go. The last thing I'd ever wanna do is hurt her.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Max's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 10:21am

After I had finished getting packed, I decided to practice some guitar, trying to distract myself from the nervousness that was flowing through my veins like ice. I still hadn't quite processed everything that had happened that morning with Victoria. Had I really suggested that we… That we…

I mean, I wanted to. Like really wanted to. But I was so scared that I was pretty sure that my heart would explode at any moment. We'd definitely done stuff before and we were still doing stuff a lot, but what if we got to the main event and I chickened out? Or worse, what if I didn't chicken out and totally sucked at it and we had to stop because I was just such a disaster? The thought made me set my guitar down because I suddenly had to take a moment to breathe. It felt like such a stupid thing to worry about, but I this was probably one of the scariest moments I'd ever had. Well, I mean, besides getting kidnapped, seeing my best friend die multiple times, my home almost getting destroyed by a tornado and seeing Victoria die in that alternate reality.

That was one thing I had thought about a lot recently. Would I ever be able to tell Tori about my powers? Was I even able to use them anymore? What would happen if I did? If I told her and she didn't believe me, would things be over between us? How would I prove it to her if there was a chance that she did believe me?

All of these questions swirled around in my head like an ocean during a storm, making my head hurt and my heart beat fast. What was I supposed to do? I had to calm down before Tori came back because otherwise she'd get freaked out and say that we shouldn't go on the trip. Shaking my head, I shoved everything I was thinking deep down into the depths of my mind where they were at least somewhat muffled. There had to be a way for me to ignore this for now. I wasn't about to let it mess up my Christmas with my girlfriend. I was done letting these stupid powers ruin my life. What was the point of having them if I wasn't supposed to use them?

Picking up my duffle bag and my messenger bag, grabbing my phone and stuffing it in my pocket as I walked out of my dorm. The corridor was completely silent which freaked me out a little. It wasn't supposed to be this quiet here, but I guess that's what happens when everyone leaves. I hurried across the hall and knocked on the door as confidently as I could, trying to calm my nerves.

"It's open," Tori's voice called from behind the door. I opened the door and walked into her room to see her holding up two blouses. They were the same make, just different colors. "Hey, which one of these would look better with a black skirt?" She asked, turning and showing me to blouses.

"Did you just ask me for fashion advice?" I asked, unable to stop myself from chuckling. She just rolled her eyes, but she was smiling a little.

"My usual minions are currently indisposed," she replied and held up the two blouses so that I could see them better. "Now stop being a smart ass and tell me which one you think would look better with a black skirt." I sighed and looked at both of the blouses. At first glance they had looked exactly the same other than the fact that their colors were different, but now I saw that they looked like they would also fit her in different ways. The dark blue sheer one looked like it was more form fitting while the bright yellow one looked more loose.

"Well, I mean, I was always told that black went with everything," I said sheepishly. I honestly didn't know which one to pick. "They would both look really good on you, but the blue one would get you more attention, I think." The words left my lips before I could stop them and I almost immediately regretted them for some reason. I swallowed hard and looked away from her. "But I know that yellow is your favorite color and I've always liked that blouse on you." Was this what it was like when a couple helped each other pick out clothes? Was there always one of them that was totally inept in terms of fashion while the other was a total fashion nerd? All I really knew in that moment was that my face was hot and I was just hoping that I hadn't said the wrong thing. I heard Tori giggle a little and sigh.

"Maxine," she said, setting the blouses down and walking over to me. "Stop second guessing yourself. You shouldn't be so scared to tell me what you think."

"I just don't want to sound like an idiot," I said softly, looking up at her from under my bangs. I saw her smile and she grabbed for my hand, squeezing it a little.

"I could try the outfits on for you if you want," she said with a bit of a smirk on her face. I looked up at her, meeting her eyes to see that she was totally serious, a glint in her eyes that made my whole body shiver. I let out a breath that sounded like a small laugh of disbelief.

"You… I mean… Sure, I guess," I stuttered, feeling my face getting even warmer at the idea of her in that dark blue blouse. "I mean we can if we have time." Tori just laughed, the way her smile lit up her whole face making me grin like the big dork I was.

"Relax, we have all the time in the world," she said and started walking back over to the other side of the room. "Plus, if I model a little for you, that means that you'll let me take you shopping, right?" I chuckled and set my duffle bag on the couch.

"Oh, I see," I said as I sat down on her bed, watching as she carefully pulled her white tank top over her head, making my heart race a little when I saw her exposed skin. "You're trying to bribe me into trying on clothes for you by trying on clothes for me." She turned to me, giving me an impish grin that made my knees weak. I was just glad that I wasn't standing up. She was wearing a skin toned bra that was a little darker than her skin. Her stomach was toned and the same shade as the rest of her skin which meant that she tanned naked, or close to it at least. I didn't see any bathing suit tan lines on her, anyway.

"Is it working?" She asked, smirking at me with one hand on her hip. I swallowed hard and tried to laugh a little but it just sounded like a strangled breath.

"I'm definitely tempted to accept your offer," I said sort of breathlessly. My heart was racing in my chest. I mean, I had seen Tori without a shirt on quite a few times and I had always enjoyed it, but in that moment the usual feelings of love and want were combined with utter fear. She was so much better looking than me. She could get anyone she wanted, but she had decided to settle for me for some bizarre reason. She was sliding her shorts off and I felt my eyes widen and my eyebrows shoot up. I put my hands over my eyes, smacking myself harder than I'd meant to. I heard Tori start laughing and imagined tears welling up in her eyes at the sight of me practically slapping myself in the face.

"Max, what the fuck are you doing?" She asked, still laughing a little as I heard her step toward me. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm sorry," I said quickly, still keeping my hand over my eyes. "I just got scared. I wanted to make sure you had your privacy." I felt her hand touch mine, pulling it from my eyes. Her face was just in front of mine, smiling at me with her perfect teeth and shimmering green eyes. My heart skipped a beat. "God, you're beautiful." She blushed but didn't break away from my gaze.

"I don't want you to be scared to look at me, Max," she said said, kissing my hand and them my forehead. "I want you to see all of me. Plus, if we're going to try... " she hesitated, probably seeing the fear in my eyes. "Try to… Well, you know. Then you're going to have to see at least a little bit of my skin."

"It's not your skin I'm worried about," I said shakily, trying to steady myself. I felt oddly vulnerable, even though I wasn't the one who was almost naked. Tori just smiled at me and kissed me softly, her lips calming everything inside me for a moment.

"Don't worry about that right now," she said gently and kissed my forehead again. It was probably red from before. "Just focus on telling me which of these looks better so I know which one to wear today. Then I can finish getting ready and we can leave, check into our hotel and get ready for our first Christmas." I nodded, smiling a little at the thought of spending Christmas with Tori. I couldn't wait to give her my gift. I mean, it wasn't much but I hoped it would be enough. It was a scrap book of the selfies we'd taken so far with the rest of the pages still empty so that we could put more of our memories in it. Thinking about it in that moment, I realized that I might've made the wrong choice since we weren't even public with our relationship yet. Had it been too eager of me to assume that we'd even have more memories to make?

She walked over to the other side of the room again and got her skirt on. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and try to focus on the moment. The last thing I'd wanna do is space out at a moment like this. When she had zipped up the side of the skirt, she turned to me and held up the blouses again.

"Ok, Caulfield," she said with a patient smile. "Which one should I try on first?"

"The yellow one," I said, relaxing a little. I scooted myself back so that my back was against the wall behind her bed, crossing my legs underneath me. I could get a better view from this far away. I watched as she put the blue one down and took the yellow blouse off of the hanger, unbuttoning it and then getting her arms through three quarter length sleeves. She started buttoning it up, her face looking sort of thoughtful, like even just the buttoning of the blouse had to look perfect, then she tucked it into the skirt. When she had it buttoned all the way she looked up at me and lifted her arms a little then moving them so that her hands were on her hips, turning around in a 360 so that I could see the full outfit. I studied her for a moment, looking her up and down. I wanted to make sure that I knew what this outfit looked like so I could compare it to the other one, but also just really liked the way the skirt hugged her hips.

"What do you think?" she asked, grinning at me. She was enjoying this because she knew the effect she had on me. I mean, I was enjoying myself too, so I didn't mind her smugness.

"I like it," I said with a smile. "Try on the blue one so we can see if it's better." Tori nodded and unbuttoned the yellow blouse, setting it on her desk chair before picking up the blue one and put it on. I watched as she buttoned it, the fabric stretching a little against her breasts even though she'd left the last two top buttons undone. I swallowed hard, wishing that I didn't blush so much. My blushing really gave her the upper hand. She didn't have huge breasts, but they were the perfect size in my opinion. B's I think. I'd never thought to ask. She tucked the bottom into her skirt and looked up to me, doing the twirl again before watching me closely.

"I like it," I manage to say, getting up from my spot on my bed and walking toward her. "But maybe you should leave it untucked." I gently pull the blouse out from under her waistband, trying to ignore the way my heart fluttered in my chest when I saw her panties poking just above the line of her skirt. I swallowed hard, trying to regain myself, my hands lingering on the hem of her blouse. I looked up at her, catching her eyes with mine. She must've been looking down at me as I untucked the blouse. I started getting lost in her eyes, savoring the way she was practically staring into my very soul.

"I guess fashion isn't totally lost on you," she said softly, her hands hanging down by her sides. She was looking at me like I was the only person in the world. Or maybe like I was the only person who mattered. I felt my face getting hot again and I smiled, laughing a little.

"Yeah, I guess not," I replied, looking away from her. I let go of her shirt and cleared my throat, shaking my head. "I like that one a lot, it looks great on you." I walked back over to the bed and sat down, trying to smile. I felt so strange. I wanted to just go with it, I wanted to just fall into the pit and never be able to return. I wanted to give in to every urge but I was too scared. I couldn't do it, not in that moment. I just hoped that Tori understood. "We should probably get going soon if we wanna beat the traffic."

"Fair point," she said, still looking a little dejected. It made my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. Fuck, I'm such and asshole. I could've just acted normal but I had to be all distant and annoying instead.

"You look really good," I told her, trying to make up for my mistake. If I was allowed to use my rewind, I could've changed what had happened. I could've gone back and maybe done something that made it so she'd stop making that face. Her lips were pursed and her row was a bit furrowed, like she was hiding the hurt I'd caused but some of it still made its way to the surface of her skin. She gave me a small smile and shrugged, putting on her shoes and then going to her desk to do her hair and makeup.

"I'm really excited to take you shopping this weekend," she said as she held a compact mirror in front of her with one hand, putting on red lipstick with the other.

"Slightly terrified counts as excited, right?" I asked, trying to lighten the tension a little. She laughed and almost messed up her handy work.

"Don't be a smart ass when I'm trying to create perfection," she said, smirking at my reflection in the compact mirror. I smiled and got up, hugging her from behind.

"You already are perfection," I said, kissing her cheek. I just hoped that was enough to make up for me being a total moron.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Victoria's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 11:30am

After Max and I had gotten everything packed into my car, we hopped in and started the drive to Portland. It wasn't super far, but it was enough of a drive that I would've fallen asleep on the way there. I always fell asleep on trips that were more than thirty minutes. I don't know what it was about transportation, but no matter what it was, I always fell dead asleep. Max had gotten her license recently and I had offered to let her drive, but she'd refused, saying that the last thing she wanted to do was "crash her secret girlfriends hella expensive car." So I drove, letting Max pick the music. She decided to play some of that stupid hipster stuff she loved so much. I mean, it wasn't that bad. It just wasn't what I was used to.

Max was hardly something I was used to. She was so much nicer than most people and she always seemed like she couldn't care less about almost everything. But she did care, she just didn't talk about it much. That was the thing about Max, you could never tell how much she cared about something until you asked her or just watched her carefully enough. When she was doing something she cared about, she got this concentrated look on her face that showed how much she wanted to get it right. Then that look would slowly turn into a small smile that eventually turned into a full on grin. It was like when she was taking photos with her polaroid. She'd line up the shot, biting her bottom lip in concentration until she found just the right spot, smiling a little. Then she'd look at the photo and if it was good, she would smile and put it in her bag, smiling at the thought of what she'd done until she moved on to something else.

She was different with people, though. When she talked to someone she cared about, she listened and waited patiently for the person to finish speaking before saying what she wanted to say. Her words were always genuine, even if they were often unorganized at times. She would tell the truth but tell it in a way that was less hurtful than one would assume the truth to be.

I knew she cared about me because of the way she spoke to me, soft and sweet but always goofy and unguarded. The way she looked at me always made my heart swell in my chest, filling me with a warmth that I hadn't felt very often until we started dating. I loved the way she'd stare at me sometimes because I could feel how much she loved me just from the way she watched my movements. I did that same to her, studying the way she moved and spoke. She was fascinating to me. I trusted her as much as I had trusted Nathan.

Which is why I was concerned about what had happened that morning in my room. She had been acting weird all morning, but that moment seemed more off than the rest. I just hoped that she wasn't angry at me. I couldn't think of anything I might've done that would've upset her, but I couldn't be sure. I often insulted people without meaning to and had done that millions of times to Max and had insulted her intentionally way too many times in the past. I felt my heart sink, wondering if I'd said something wrong. I wasn't sure whether to ask her or not. Neither of us had said much since we got in the car, but I didn't usually talk while I drove anyway.

I glanced over at Max, seeing that she was looking out the passenger side window, watching the buildings we passed. She looked like she was thinking really hard about something, but I had no idea what. Maybe I had said something and now she was sulking. I don't blame her, I'd be sulking too if my girlfriend insulted me and sort of hurt my feelings. What bothered me was the fact that she was obviously upset and wasn't saying anything, but I didn't want to bug her and make it worse. But maybe not asking would make it worse, like she'd think that I didn't notice that she was upset or that I didn't care. But I did care, otherwise I wouldn't be gripping the steering wheel of my car so tight that my knuckles turned white.

"You ok?" Max asked, her voice concerned and barely passing over the music that she was playing.

"Yeah," I replied, loosening my grip on the grip on the steering wheel and taking a deep breath, popping my neck. It was kind of sore, actually. Max turned the music down and reached out to me, placing her hand on the back of my neck, rubbing it a little.

"Are you sure?" she asked, rubbing a bit of the tension out of my neck. "You're super tense. Is your back bothering you?" She sounded so genuine. Maybe I had been imagining her sulky like demeanor? No, there was no way. There had to be something up.

"I just slept on it wrong," I replied, letting the warmth and movement of her fingers on my neck squeeze all of the tension out me. Damn, she was good with her hands, even if she sometimes didn't know where to put them. "That feels really nice." I sighed a little and felt my whole body start to uncoil beneath me. She giggled and continued to rub the back of my neck.

"Don't fall asleep, we're not there yet," she said gently moving her fingers up into my hair a little before rubbing my neck some more. "Are you sure nothing's bothering you?" Why did she sound so guilty?

"I was just worried that I said something to upset you," I replied, deciding that getting the conversation out of the way was for the best. "You've been acting sort of weird all morning." Her fingers paused against my skin and I glanced over to see a surprised look on her face.

"What? No, you didn't say anything," she said quickly, moving her hand away from my neck. I missed the warmth of her skin as soon as it left me. "I just… I don't know. It's complicated." I gave her a quick glance and saw her looking down at her hands, her brows furrowed. I took a deep breath, trying to stay as focused on the road as I could.

"You can tell me anything, Max," I said as gently as I could. "I'm here to listen and to help if you need me. Plus, I'm not exactly one to judge."

"I just don't want you to think I'm crazy," she whispered, shifting in her seat. I paused, thinking on what she might mean. I couldn't think of anything serious.

"I've heard some pretty crazy shit, Max," I said, moving one hand off the steering to find her hand. She intertwined our fingers and I smiled softly. "I was best friends with Nathan for most of my life and he actually was sort of crazy. So whatever you have to tell me, I can handle it." I squeezed her hand reassuringly and waited, the silence growing little by little. With a sigh, Max pulled my hand up and kissed the back of it, sending a small shiver through me. I wasn't expecting it.

"Alright," she said. "So, this is really going to sound insane. Like actually insane, ok? Just… hear me out, I guess. And feel free to throw me out of your car if I freak you out." My brows furrowed and I gave her a quick glance. She looked terrified, like I would suddenly drop her like she was nothing on the side of the road.

"Ok," I replied, feeling a little more concerned. What was so crazy that she'd be this nervous?

"I can control time," she said slowly, squeezing my hand a little tighter with every word.

"What?"


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Max's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 12:11

"What?" she asked, almost laughing. I felt my insides tighter so much that I was pretty sure all of my organs were grinding each other into oblivion. Fuck, why did I have to say anything? Taking a deep breath, I swallowed my nerves like they were medicine.

"I can rewind time and go into the past," I said, unsure how to explain. I sort of wanted her to ask me questions. It would be easier to explain if I knew where to start. There was a long pause and Tori just sort of looked out at the road, that crease appearing between her eyebrows as she scrunched them together and worried her lip between her teeth. When she finally spoke she said her words slow, like she had to process them as she said them.

"How do you know?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the road. How did I know? I wondered that myself sometimes. Sometimes I thought that maybe it had all just been a dream my mind had given me to process the death of my best friend, but I knew it was real. There was no way that my mind had just made it all up.

"It's hard to explain," I replied, not quite sure where to start. "I guess it all started that day Chloe died." The words fell from my mouth like bricks. It was hard to say her name out loud. It made my chest hurt. "When Nathan shot her, I went back in time and saved her. Then a bunch of crazy shit started happening."

"Crazier than you rewinding time?" she asked, her voice sounding kind of sarcastic. I looked away from her and my grip loosened on her hand a little.

"I knew this was a bad idea," I muttered. Should I rewind or just live with this? If I rewind then there might be another tornado or something. Was my relationship with Victoria worth that?

"If you can really rewind time, prove it," she said sharply, glancing over at me. My eyes widened a little. Was there a chance she actually believed me? Why else would she be telling me to prove it? "Well?" She said impatiently, pulling over to the side of the road and parking the car. I froze up, totally tense. She took her hand from mine and crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at me with impatient eyes and I felt myself starting to crumble. She must've thought I was totally insane.

"But… If I… I promised that I would never use my powers again," I stammered, trying to think of something, anything that would convince her.

"Wow, that's really convenient, isn't it?" she said sharply, laughing in disbelief and frustration. I shrunk away from her, pressing myself against the door. If I did nothing then she'd never believe me. If I did try to prove it, something ten times worse might happen. But… I didn't want to lose her. She was the best thing to happen to me in a long time and I didn't want to give that up. I felt tears welling up in my eyes as panic started to take over.

"Tori," I said shakily, trying to swallow the lump in my throat. "Please."

"Max, you realize how insane this sounds?" She said, turning to face me.

"I know," I said shakily, the words coming out as a small sob. "Why do you think I hadn't told you? I wasn't going to tell you at all. Victoria, I went through hell because of this stupid ability. I had to let my best friend die to save you and everyone else in Arcadia Bay. I had to save Chloe's life over and over again just to let her die. I just sat there and waited for it to be over." I was really crying now, my entire body was shaking with the force of my sobs and I had buried my head in my hands, clutching my hair.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice a little softer. I balled my hands into fists and slammed them against my knees, meeting her gaze.

"Jefferson had you, Tori," I said, almost shouting. "He had you and he had me and he killed you. He killed you and there was nothing I could do to save you. I tried to warn you but he got you anyway because it was him and not Nathan." She stared at me, her mouth hanging open a little. "I let my best friend die to save Arcadia Bay. To save you." Everything inside of me felt like it was in a storm, destroying everything it could. I was angry, so angry that I wanted to hit something, anything. I wanted to scream at the sky and demand answers. I wanted reasons, proof. I was just as confused as Tori was and I didn't know how to make her believe me.

"Max," she whispered, reaching out to me. I flinched a little, unsure of what to expect. She put her hand on my arm, her eyes meeting mine. "Tell me everything."

So I did. I told her everything that I possibly could. I had to take out my journal at one point to remember a few details, but it was all explained eventually. Every single detail suddenly out in the open. There was a long silence after I was done explaining everything that I knew. Tori had her eyes glued to me but she wasn't focused on me. She looked like she was thinking really hard, deciding whether or not to believe me. I had even told her about me sneaking into her room and the paint thing that never happened in this timeline and how we were dating in the alternate universe where Chloe was paralyzed. I told her about Kate and how I stopped her from jumping and how Jefferson had used her. It was all a lot to take in so I wasn't surprised when she just sort of sat there for awhile, processing everything I had just told her. I still didn't expect her to believe me, but she looked pretty close.

"How is that possible?" she finally asked, her voice quiet.

"I have no idea," I replied, trying to relax a little.

"I can understand why this might be possible," she thought out loud, leaning forward against the steering wheel. "It would explain all those things you say in your sleep when you have your nightmares. But… I don't know if I can believe this." I felt myself tensing again. All I could do was hold my breath and pray to whoever was listening that she would believe me.

"Tori…" I whispered, fear gripping my entire body. She had this look in her eyes that made me wish I could just disappear. Before I could stop myself, I held out my hand in front of me. "I'll prove it. Tell me something that I don't know and I'll guess it before you can say it." My whole body was shaking and Victoria had this sad look on her face, like she had given up on something.

"Fine," she muttered. After a long pause, she turned back to me and said "I got really sick when I was little and was dead for a minute and a half before they resuscitated me." I nodded, taking a deep breath. My hand was held out in front of me, palm facing Victoria. I focused, letting time ripple and shift around me. The familiar sounds and small shimmering edges shifted around me until I was back to where I started. She was about to speak when I interrupted her.

"You were really sick as a child and died for a minute and a half," I said quickly, my whole body still shaking as I lowered my hand onto my lap. I felt sick and my head was throbbing, stabbing pain going through me like waves with each heartbeat. Tori just looked at me with wide eyes, her mouth open a little. Fuck, I forgot how much that hurt. I lowered my head, rubbing my forehead with the palm of my hand.

"How did you…" She started, stopping as I lifted up my head to meet her eyes again. I felt a drop fall onto my shirt and looked down to see a bit of blood staining the white fabric. "Oh my god, your nose." She moved forward, cupping my face with her hands before grabbing napkins out of the glove compartment.

"I'm fine," I said, but it came out slow and kind of slurred. Everything was starting to spin. All I could hear after that was Tori shouting my name as the world went dark.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Victoria's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 2:54pm

I had been sitting in that shitty waiting room for hours and no one told me anything. One nurse came by about an hour after we'd arrived and told me that I couldn't go in with Max because I wasn't related to her so I had to wait until they were done running their stupid fucking tests to see her. I was fuming, my whole body tight with an anger that I hadn't felt in a long time. All I wanted to do was scream at that dumbass nurse and tell her that I was seeing my girlfriend whether the rules said I could or not, but I knew that I couldn't do that. I wanted to kick over a chair and punch a hole through the wall, but I didn't want to get kicked out of the hospital and not be able to see Max at all. I didn't want her to wake up alone.

I had called Max's parents from her phone, her dad specifically. He hadn't answered so I left a message, telling him that I was a friend of Max's and that she was in the hospital as well as which hospital we were at and how long we'd been there. All I could really do after that was sit in the most uncomfortable chair known to man or pace back and forth in the waiting room. I still hadn't processed what happened before Max passed out. How had she known what I was going to say? Only my parents and Nathan knew about that thing that had happened to me as a kid, there's no way she could've found that out on her own. I never told her. Not because I didn't want to, I just hadn't really thought about it much. I didn't like thinking about it.

I sat down in a chair and crossed my arms over my chest, crossing one leg over the other. I didn't know what to think. It just… It wasn't possible. Nobody could control time. But Max must've. She had said that her powers took a lot of toll on her physical state and that she hadn't used them since the day Chloe died. So I would make sense that her suddenly using them again would take even more of toll since it had been so long. Was this my fault? Had my doubt made Max so desperate that she risked her well being to prove herself?

"Miss Chase," a doctor said, looking around the waiting room. I stood, taking a step forward.

"Me, that's me," I said quickly. "Is Max ok? Is she awake? What happened to her? Can I see her?" I was talking fast, hardly able to control myself. The doctor put up his hands, holding a chart in his right hand.

"Please slow down, Miss Chase," he said calmly, a bored look on his face. "Miss Caulfield is completely fine. She's still asleep at the moment, but she woke up for a few minutes and asked for you. We ran a couple of tests but there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. Did anything happen to her before you brought her in? Was she under a large amount of stress, physical or emotional?"

Oh my god… It was my fault…

"Her and I were having a bit of an argument before," I said softly, my chest going cold on the inside. I held back the tears that threatened to spill into my eyes. "But it was nothing serious." Max, I'm so sorry. "Can I see her now?" I asked. The doctor nodded and pointed down a hallway and giving me directions. I walked down the hall and took a right, going down a couple doors until I found the one to Max's room.

I stood there for a moment, my hand hovering over the handle. She had asked for me. The doctor said so. But I was the reason she was in this state. I was the reason she was hurt. I took a deep breath, steeling myself. I didn't know if Max would want me there, but I knew that I had to be there for her. I had to help her if I could. If she was in this mess because of me then I would do anything to get her out of it.

I opened the door as quietly as I could, closing it behind me. Max was laying in a hospital bed, small tubes sticking out of her arms and one of those plastic things in her nose to help give her oxygen. I froze, unable to move for a moment. There's nothing quite like seeing someone you love hooked up to a bunch of machines. Her heartbeat was being monitored, making small, consistent beeping sounds each time Max's heart would beat. I had to clear my throat a little and shake my head to bring me back to myself. I grabbed the chair that sat in the corner and moved it so that I was sitting right next to Max's bed. I sat down in the chair, just sort of looking her over for a few minutes.

Her mid-length brown hair was sort of messy like it always was, but her face didn't have blood on it anymore. There had been so much blood before. When I was driving her to the hospital, I was so scared that she was losing too much blood, I was almost sure that she was going to bleed to death in my car. I was sure that she was going to die. All because I didn't believe her.

I couldn't hold in the tears anymore, my whole body shaking from the quiet sobs I let escape me. I took Max's hand in both of mine and brought it to my lips, kissing her skin before holding her hand against my forehead. I leaned forward, letting my elbows rest on my knees as I cried, letting my emotions flood through me with no barriers.

"I'm sorry, Max," I sobbed softly, holding her hand tight in mine. "I'm so sorry. Please be ok. I'll never doubt you again, I promise, just please be ok." I sat there for a long time, praying to whoever was out there to listen. Maybe if I prayed hard enough or begged Max for long enough then she would wake up and everything would be ok. I just wanted her to be ok.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen (Trigger Warnings Needed)**

Max's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 5:21pm

All I remember is everything being dark. It was all so quiet that I was sure that I could hear my own heartbeat if I listened hard enough. I just stood there for a long time, looking around to see nothing but darkness.

"Hello?" I called out, trying to see if I could find a way out. Where was I, anyway? How did I get here?

"Max?" A familiar voice called back. My heart stopped and I froze.

"Chloe?" I whispered. It couldn't be, could it? There's no way. She was…

"Max, help me!" Chloe's voice came screaming from somewhere to my right. I turned to see Chloe standing right in front of me. She was wearing what she had been the day she died, her white tank top soaked in blood. She had that usual smirk on her face as she looked down at me, her blue hair as bright as it had been the last time I saw it. "Hey there, super star. Surprised to see me?"

"Chloe," I whispered, her name catching in my throat. "What are you…"

"Doing here?" she asked, chuckling a little and looking around before she met my eyes again. Was she really here? Where was here? "I could ask you that same question, super Max. You're supposed to be out there, remember?" She pointed to something over my shoulder. I turned to see Kate standing on the roof just in front of me, looking at me with tears in her eyes.

"You'll save me again, won't you, Max?" she asked, her voice shaking. I tried to move forward, reaching out to her, but I couldn't move my feet.

"Kate come down from there," I begged, using all of my strength to move, but my feet were practically welded to the floor. "Come on, Kate."

"Why would she save you?" Another voice broke through the darkness, one that awoke every horrible memory that I had tried to suppress for so long. Nathan took a few steps toward Kate, her face filling with fear. "She couldn't even save that punk bitch best friend of hers no matter how hard she tried."

"Get away from her!" I growled, using everything in me that I could find to move, but my feet wouldn't budge.

"Awwww, is the little hipster wannabe getting angry?" he taunted me, giving me a sideways glance before closing the gap between him and Kate. "You can't save anyone, Max. You're helpless." He reached out his hands and placed them on Kate's shoulders, shoving her off of the roof. Her screams filled the air and I screamed with her, my entire body tightening up and filling with rage and grief.

"KATE!" I screamed, finally able to move. I ran faster than I ever had in my life, running to the edge of the roof. As I reached the edge, everything went black again for a moment before another scene unfolded before me.

I was in the junkyard, standing by the bus where I had seen the doe. Where we had found Rachel's body.

"Do you think we could've saved her?" Chloe's voice echoed around me, but I couldn't see her anywhere. "Do you think that we could've used your rewind to get her back?" Someone laughed somewhere behind me. I spun around just in time to see Mr. Jefferson take the last few steps toward me before wrapping his hand around my throat.

"Yeah, Max," he growled, tightening his grip around my neck. I gasped for air, feeling my feet being lifted from the ground. "Do you think you could've saved poor Rachel Amber from her ultimate fate? Like you tried to do for Chloe? I mean, look at what happened when you tried to save her, the whole of Arcadia Bay was almost destroyed and you actually considered letting all of those people die just so that you could run off with your little punk girlfriend and live happily ever after." My lungs were burning, I couldn't get any air and my feet were dangling somewhere above the ground. The edges of my vision blurred and everything went dark again.

When I opened my eyes, I was gasping for air, but I was nowhere near relieved. Looking around, my heart kept racing, pounding so hard against my ribs that I thought it would break them. The scene before me made my entire body freeze with panic.

"No," I protested, trying to move only to realize that I was taped to a chair. I was in the dark room again. "No!" I screamed, struggling against the black tape that held my wrists to the chair.

"Max?" Tori's voice came from in front of me, shaky and full of fear. I looked up at see her sitting on the white couch just across from me. Her ankles and wrists were taped together, her clothes torn, barely hiding her chest and pelvis. She had tears in her eyes and her cheeks were covered in streaks of makeup from crying. She was covered in bruises and her eyes were wide with terror. I froze, every nerve in my body suddenly screaming.

"Tori, are you ok?" I asked breathlessly, trying to struggle against the tape again. It wouldn't budge.

"Oh, she will be, Max," Jefferson's voice came from behind me as he walked past me. "We've been having quite a bit of fun while you've been away. Haven't we, Victoria?" He said her name in a way that made my skin crawl. He reached down and stroked her cheek with his fingertips, running them down her body and moving what was left her clothes away from her skin. "Isn't it strange that someone can beg for a person's attention for so long and then learn to regret their ass kissing ways when they finally get the attention they asked for?" He asked, grinning down at Victoria like she was some sort of toy. She shrank away from his touch, starting to cry again.

"Let her go!" I shouted, fighting hard against my restraints. "Leave her alone, you son of a bitch!"

"But, Max," he said with a smile, turning to face me. "We haven't gotten to the fun part yet." He took a gun out of his back pocket, holding it to the side of Victoria's head. She was sobbing, her eyes pleading for me to save her.

"Max," she whimpered, shaking.

"Tori, it's going to be ok," I told her, fighting every urge I had not to start screaming. "You're gonna be ok, I'm going to get you out of here and everything's gonna be ok."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Max," Jefferson said, pressing the barrel hard against the side of Victoria's head. "Say goodbye to your little girlfriend, Max. You won't be seeing her again."

"Tori!" I screamed as a loud bang rang through the air. Blood splattered against the white couch and Victoria fell limp, her eyes still locked on me, wide with the fear she'd just felt, the light fading from her once bright green eyes. "Victoria!" Jefferson made his way toward me, holding the gun loosely in his hand. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at her body. I couldn't stop looking at it. It was so real. This was all so real. Was it real?

"Did you really believe that you could save her?" Jefferson asked, chuckling a little. "You're even more naive than I thought. You should've known that I would find her again. You should've known that I would come for her just like the universe came for Chloe when you tried to save her. You can't save anyone, Max. You're weak and helpless. You're a disease. Everyone who gets close to you gets hurt and you know it. You destroy everything you touch, leaving destruction in your wake." He took the last step toward me and held the gun to my forehead, right in the middle of it. I looked up at him, anger boiling in my blood, but I could feel myself giving up.

"Go fuck yourself, you sadistic piece of shit," I growled, feeling the heat of the barrel against my skin. "You wanna kill me? Do it. You've already taken everything from me now." He just grinned at me.

"There's a good little Max," he said softly, pulling the trigger.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Victoria's POV

Thursday, December 24th, 2013, 8:43pm

I was awoken by the sound of someone screaming my name. I sat bolt upright to see Max doing the same, panting and sweating. Her hair was matted to her face and forehead, tears streaming down her face.

"Victoria!" She screamed, gasping for air. I jumped to my feet and sat on the edge of her bed, putting both hands on her shoulders and then wiping her face with my sleeve.

"I'm here, I'm right here, Max," I said calmly but firmly, cupping her face with my hands. Her eyes were locked on me, wide with fear and… was that greif? She jumped toward me, wrapping her arms around me so tight that it was hard to breath, but I hugged her back, making sure that it was firm but not too tight. She was sobbing into my shoulder now and I could feel the warmth of her tears soaking through my blouse.

"I'm sorry, Tori," she sobbed, burying her face in my shoulder. Her whole body was shivering. I held onto her tight, rubbing her back to try and help calm her down.

"Shhh, everything's ok," I said gently, kissing her head. "I'm here, everything's ok. You're ok." She must've had another one of her nightmares, but none of them had ever been this bad. She sank into me, her muscles practically melting as she sobbed, saying that she was sorry over and over again.

By ten at night, I was snuggled up with her in that awful hospital bed. I almost went to complain to the staff about how they really needed to spend less money filling up the vending machines and focus on making these beds more comfortable for their patients. But Max stopped me, asking me not to leave. She was cuddled close to me, holding me tight. It was almost like she believed that I was going to disappear or something. So I held her tight too, trying to show her that I wasn't going anywhere, no matter what. I kissed the top of her head and leaned my chin against her head.

"So do you believe me?" she asked softly, making little circles on my arm. I nodded, watching her delicate fingers glide over my skin, creating tiny goosebumps on my forearm.

"Of course," I whispered, kissing the top of her head again. I wasn't sure if I was 100% done processing what happened still, but that didn't matter in that moment. All that mattered in that moment was Max and making sure that she was ok. I stroked her hair, closing my eyes as I breathed in the smell of her lavender shampoo and just a little bit of the sanitized hospital.

"Are we still going to go to Portland?" She asked, her voice sounding sort of pleading. I wasn't sure what to say. She had just passed out and spent the entire day in the hospital. The doctor had said that she would be good to go in the morning but shouldn't be put under too much emotional or physical stress for at least twenty four hours. But I don't think that a relaxing day at a hotel would be too straining. It would be Christmas so we'd probably just end up spending the day at the hotel either way.

"If you want to," I replied, smiling a little when I saw her face light up. "But we'd have to take it easy. No crazy time travel stuff."

"Agreed," she laughed softly, nuzzling my neck and kissing my skin softly. I smiled, blushing a little. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Don't apologize, Max," I said firmly, but not so firmly that it would be mistaken for anger. "You did nothing wrong. It… It was my fault for not believing you."

"I wouldn't have believed me either," she said softly, gripping at my cashmere. "I still don't really believe it."

"It's ok now," I said gently, kissing her forehead when she looked up at me. "You're here and you're safe. No one will ever hurt you as long as I'm here." I looked down at her to see something dark flash through her eyes and her brows furrowed a little.

"It's not me that I'm worried about," she replied, shifting a little so that she could get a good look at me. "I'm supposed to make sure that you're safe. I… I failed to do that before and I won't let it happen again." Tears welled up in her eyes and the dream I'd had before with Max protecting me from the world flashed into my memory again. I cupped her cheek with my hand and smiled a little.

"We can protect each other," I said gently, wiping away a tear that fell down her cheek. "You don't have to do this alone anymore, Max. I'm here for you, no matter what happens." She leaned her head against my chest, crying a little. I wanted to ask her about her nightmare because it had obviously shaken her up quite a bit, but that was another reason not to bring it up at all. It might bring all of those feelings back again.

So I just laid her down and snuggled close to her, humming softly and stroking her hair until she fell asleep. It didn't take long for me to follow suit.

When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in the hospital room anymore. Max wasn't next to me either. I looked around, searching for something that resembled the real world, but I couldn't find anything. The world had gone white all around me. I got this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like I had been here before. I took a few steps forward, looking around a little more. There were no objects that I could see. There was nothing anywhere and there was no sound. I felt my stomach tying itself in knots.

"Where am I?" I wondered aloud, turning around to see a figure in the distance. They were tall, bright blue hair standing out against the backdrop of white. The figure turned around to face me and I was greeted by a smirk and a nod.

"Hey, it's Icky Vicky," Chloe's voice echoed toward me. I felt my brow furrow as I looked at her. Wasn't she supposed to be…

"Hey, don't call her that," I heard another familiar voice come from just behind me. When I turned around I saw a tall girl with long blond hair and a blue feather earing in one ear.

"Rachel?" I asked softly, an odd feeling filling my chest. But she was…

"Hi, Victoria," she said with a smile. "Don't mind Chlo, she's just being her usual self."

"If by usual self you mean totally charming and sexy as hell, then yeah, I'm being my usual self 24/7," Chloe replied, appearing just behind Rachel and draping an arm around her shoulders.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked, not really sure where here was. Chloe chuckled, wiping a stray bit of blue hair out of her face.

"I think it'd be more appropriate to ask you that question, Chase," she replied, standing up straight. "We were here first, after all. You just got here."

"Where is here?" I asked, looking around my still completely white surroundings. Rachel shrugged, smiling.

"Not sure," she said, taking a few steps around me. "We've been here for awhile, though."

"I'm glad you're here, though," Chloe added, wrapping an arm around my shoulders like she'd done to Rachel. I resisted the urge to pull away. "I have something I wanted to tell you."

"And what is that?" I asked, my patience wearing thin. These two could've come straight out of the Alice and Wonderland story. They were so strange and never said exactly what they meant at first. You had to coax it out of them. Max was kind of that way too sometimes.

"I know that Max has been having a bit of a hard time with stuff lately," Chloe said, walking forward a little and dragging me along with her. She didn't smell the same as she did when she went to Blackwell. She didn't really look the same either. "I just wanted to thank you for being there for her and everything. She made a hard decision when all that crazy shit happened back in October and I don't like that it weighs on her so much. She went through a lot of fucked up shit."

"Yeah, she told me," I replied, looking at the ground. She'd gone through so much and hadn't told me a single thing. Then when she finally did, I didn't believe her and now she was in the hospital. Poor Max had always hated hospitals after that eye incident with her teddy bear.

"She's not normal, you know," Chloe's voice pulled me from my thoughts, making me look up at her. She had stopped walking and was facing me now, her blue eyes piercing into my very soul, making me shiver a little. "Her life is going to be really hard and anyone who gets close is going to have to deal with that. You know that, right?" I paused, thinking for a moment before looking back up at her again.

"I know but that's ok," I replied, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "I love her and will help her every step of the way. She needs someone and so do I. We can help each other and deal with things as they come up." Chloe smiled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Wow, Chase," she said with a chuckle. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"What?" I asked, feeling sort of defensive.

"I didn't know that you could love anyone other than yourself," she replied with a bit of a grin, obviously trying to get under my skin.

"Shut your mouth, Price," I retorted sharply.

"Hey, you shouldn't disrespect the dead," she said with feigned hurt on her face. "I was just trying to warn you."

"Ease up on her, Priceless," Rachel said, giving me a smile when I looked at her. "Victoria just wants to help Max. Just like you and me. Isn't that right, Victoria?" I didn't realize that I would miss Rachel's smile. We hadn't been close when she was alive, but I had respected her more than almost anyone else on that campus.

"Right," I replied, smiling a little. "I love her."

"She needs you now more than ever, Victoria," Rachel replied, her face growing pained like she knew something that I didn't. "She's not going to get over everything that's happened right away."

"I never expected her to," I replied quickly, still unsure of everything that was happening. "I don't think anyone could. Not even someone as strong as her could get over all of that stuff right away. If ever."

"Just be careful," she said, giving me a soft smile. "You'll need all the luck you can get with that one." I smiled, laughing softly.

"Thanks," I replied, looking down at the ground. "She's worth it."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

Max's POV

Friday, December 25th, 2013, 12:34pm

The morning was surprisingly stress free. I expected checking out of a hospital without my parents to be super stressful and tense, but it went so smoothly that I barely noticed it happening. Tori got me some clean clothes out of my duffle bag in the car and I got changed. She had already changed her outfit, still looking amazing even though I knew for a fact that she hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep. She had a hint of dark circles under her eyes, but they were barely noticeable. How she got her hair perfect while only having the hospital bathroom at her disposal, I'll never know, but it was amazing nonetheless.

After I got changed we walked out to the desk where people check in. Tori told me to go sit down in one of the chairs so I did, even though I wanted to protest. She made me promise to take it easy and I knew that she was just being bossy because she was worried, so I sat down and waited. The process was surprisingly quick and no one started yelling like I had expected. I was leaned back in the super uncomfortable chair, looking around when my eyes caught Tori's profile. She was talking to the woman behind the counter, Tori's brows furrowed a little as she went over the paperwork that was handed to her.

She always clenched her jaw a little when she was concentrated, like letting her mouth fall open even a little would break her focus. I had seen her like this a lot, pouring over papers or photos or anything else she did. She always put 100% into that sort of thing. Into almost everything. I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips as I looked at her. She was so beautiful with her dark green eyes and light blond hair, sharp features and pink lips. But it wasn't just her body that made her beautiful, it was the way her body reacted to everything that happened on the inside. The way her nails tapped against the counter as she read something over, the way she got straight to the point, never dancing around what she was really thinking. How she had looked at me when I had woken up from my nightmares, eyes filled with a warmth that I'd only seen in a few people's eyes when they'd looked at me.

It was moments like that that showed me just how much she really loved me and it always made me feel so much better. Like I was safe again. I wanted her to know how much I loved her, I wanted to give her everything I had and more. I had been so scared yesterday, so terrified that she wouldn't believe me and that she'd just leave me behind without a second thought. The memories of my fear filled me with guilt. How could I have doubted her? She loved me and I knew that but I had still been so afraid that her love wouldn't be enough to make her believe me. That my proof wouldn't be enough. She still had doubts about the whole thing, I knew that, but I didn't blame her. It was all so insane, but now I wouldn't have to worry about it because I was never going to use my powers again. They wouldn't effect me anymore than they already had, I refused to let them take over my life again.

Before I knew what was happening, Tori walked over to me and smiled, holding out her hand to me.

"You ready to go?" She asked, a file in her left hand. I looked up at her and smiled, taking her right hand in mine, intertwining our fingers.

"Yeah, let's get out of here," I replied, walking close to her. I pulled out my phone, seeing a bunch of missed calls and text messages from my parents and then a few Merry Christmas texts from a few people like Kate, Warren and Dana. "I should call my parents when we get in the car. They're probably worried sick."

"That's probably a good plan," Tori replied, giving my hand a squeeze before letting it go. We got into her car and she set the file down in between us. I was guessing that it was the test results and stuff from the day before. I decided to ask her about it later. Pulling my phone out of my pocket again, I dialed my dad's cell phone number and strapped myself in, leaning back in my seat. The car was kind of cold but I didn't mind, it was kind of nice compared to the slight mugginess of the hospital.

The phone rang three times before my dad picked up, his voice just as deep as I remembered it, but there was more worry in his voice than I was used to. He usually sounded more cheerful.

"Hey, dad," I said, trying to sound cheerful. Truthfully, I was exhausted and didn't really want to be doing this because I knew that I'd have to make up an excuse and lie to them about what happened and why I was going to Portland with Tori instead of being at Blackwell where I was supposed to be.

"Max, sweetheart, what happened to you?" he said with a sigh of relief, but the worry was still there somewhere, just sort of hidden beneath momentary relief. "I got a message from your friend and your mom and I tried to fly back but all of the flights were cancelled last night. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, dad, everything's fine," I said with a small smile. Of course they'd try to fly back. "Is mom with you?"

"Yeah, I'm here, baby," I heard my mom's voice a little farther from the phone.

"Oh yeah, you're a speaker by the way," dad said and I could hear the beginnings of a smile on his face. "Is that Victoria girl with you?" He asked. I tensed up a little and turned to her, giving her a questioning glance. We were driving down the road now so she was looking forward, but I could tell that she was listening because her shoulders were tense and it looked like she could snap the steering wheel in half she was gripping it so hard.

"Yeah, she's here," I said hesitantly. "Do you wanna talk to her?" Tori's eyes widened and she gave me a quick glance, looking way more nervous than I'd ever seen her.

"If that's ok with her, then yes your mom and I would like to talk to her," my dad's voice had taken on a strange tone, a little more serious than before.

"Well, she's driving right now so I could put you on speaker," I said nervously, watching Tori's muscles tighten underneath her shirt.

"Where are you two going?" My mom asked, her voice getting closer to the phone. "Is she taking you back to the school?" I swallowed hard, trying to decide whether or not to lie. I had never really had to lie to my parents before, especially not about stuff like this. How was I supposed to tell them that I was actually going to Portland with my secret girlfriend right after I used my rewind power on her to prove that I was actually a freak of nature?

"Uh, yeah," I lied, my palms starting to sweat. "We're headed back to the school right now."

"Alright, you can put us on speaker, sweetheart," my dad said, making me even more nervous. What were they going to ask Tori? I held the phone away from my face and clicked the speaker button.

"Alright, you're on speaker," I told them, leaning over the middle console so that the phone was between Tori and I.

"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield," she said confidently, that "Hi, I'm the perfect Miss Chase. Oh I'm rich and totally confident in myself and my skills, thank you for noticing" face. She always looked like that when she was talking to adults of status, but my parents were nowhere near her status. Why would she put up that front right now? Did she want to impress them?

"Hello, Victoria," my mom said, her voice firm but friendly. "I just wanted to talk to you about what happened yesterday, your voicemail was quite vague." She gave me a nervous smile and I nodded, smiling back. Why was she so nervous?

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said, her eyes flicking from the road to my phone and back. "Max and I were just going to get coffee and I guess that all the pent up stress from finals and everything really got to her so she passed out. But I took her to the hospital and got a copy of all the paperwork for you if you want me to fax it to you later today." Wow, she was good at this. I looked at her in surprise and she shrugged, still looking nervous.

"Oh, well thank you," my mom said, sounding hesitant. "Just make sure she doesn't over do it. She has a tendency to go beyond her limits when she'd trying to impress people." I felt my cheeks getting hot with embarrassment. Tori smirked and gave me a wink, making butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"That's our little Max, always trying to get attention from pretty girls," my dad said, surprising me so much that I almost dropped the phone. Did they know that I was bi?

"What the hell, dad?" I shouted, feeling my blush spread over my entire face.

"What?" he asked innocently, I could tell he was shrugging and I could hear my mom laughing in the background. What the actual fuck was happening? I hadn't told my parents about me liking girls, why were they talking like it was obvious? Was it obvious? "Alright, well you girls stay out of trouble now. And make sure that you take it easy, Max. We don't want to have anymore ER visits."

"I'll be careful," I said indignantly, letting my head hang a little. "Can we just never talk about this again?" I missed my parents more than anything, but sometimes they tried to embarrass me on purpose and I hadn't been prepared for it in that moment.

"No promises," my mom said. "We need to talk about this when we see you and make sure you're ok. Maybe you should make a doctor's appointment soon to get a check up. Have you been keeping track of all that stuff?"

"Yes, mom," I sighed. "I gotta go, ok? I love you guys and I'll see you soon."

"Love you, sweetie!" My mom said.

"Love you, mini Max," my dad's voice followed and I hung up the phone, leaning back in my seat again with a sigh. Tori was chuckling in the seat next to me, trying to keep in a smile. I looked over at her, trying to look threatening, at least in my eyes, but I loved that she was so amused by what had happened. It could've been much worse.

"What's so funny?" I asked, trying to growl but failing to. Her holding in her laughter made me want to laugh too.

"So which other girls' attention are you trying to get, huh Caulfield?" She asked, winking at me. I blushed but stood my ground, reaching over the center console to rub her thigh with my hand.

"Only you, baby," I said, sounding smoother than I expected to. Tori's eyes widened and she cleared her throat. I laughed, unable to keep a straight face. I pulled my hand away from her thigh, trying to catch my breath. "Oh my god! You should've seen the look on your face!"

"You're insufferable, Maxine!" She shouted indignantly, but she was smiling and I could still see a hint of pink glowing on her cheeks. When I finally got myself to stop laughing, I wiped a tear from my eye and kissed her cheek, grinning uncontrollably.

"But you love me, right?" I asked, my elbow leaned on the center console so that my face was close to hers. She gave me a quick glance, smirking a little.

"I guess I could be persuaded to," she replied, blushing a little. My entire body tingled, making me blush again. I felt a sudden wave of want rush through me and I watched her struggling to focus on the road.

"Persuaded?" I asked softly, placing a long kiss right under her jaw. She whined softly, struggling to stay focused on the road.

"Maxine," she said softly, my name rolling off of her tongue in a way that filled my body with warmth. "You're not supposed to be getting worked up."

"I'm not," I murmured, leaning closer to kiss her neck, biting a little. I desperately wanted to make my mark on her, showing everyone who saw her that she belonged to me, but I knew that she would kill me if I did. Hell, the car might crash if I did anything too exciting. "It looks like you're the one getting worked up." I bit at her skin gently, moving my hand so that it was on her thigh again. She tensed up and I could practically feel her fighting her urge to pull over. I bit a little harder, getting a soft moan to escape her. The sound made my heart race. I wanted to hear it again so I moved up her thigh a little, feeling where her skin ended and her skirt began while also sucking a little at her neck.

"Fuck," she breathed, her eyes fluttering closed and then opening again as she desperately tried to focus on the road. "Max, this is really dangerous." Her voice was breathy and shaking a little, only getting me more excited.

"I know," I giggled, playing with the hem of her skirt between my fingers as I bit at her ear. "Exciting, right?" She whined a little, groaning as she fought for control.

"Max, please," she pleaded. "I want this too but can we at least wait until our lives aren't hanging in the balance?" She asked, somehow managing to keep her eyes focused on the road. I giggled and leaned back into my seat, smirking at her.

"Sure, babe," I replied smoothly, watching her let out a sigh of relief. "But when we get to the hotel, you're all mine."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

Victoria's POV

Friday, December 25th, 2013, 1:21pm

I literally could not get us checked into the hotel fast enough. My entire body felt like it was on pins and needles, the warmth in my gut spilling over until I thought I might explode. All I wanted was Max, I wanted every piece of her. I wanted to hold her in my arms, to get so close to her that we stopped being two people and were one again like in those myths. I wanted to hear her voice saying my name in the way I'd imagined and sometimes dreamt about.

Unfortunately, check in wasn't until two. Which was bullshit by the way. I had to stop myself from getting in a full blown argument with the manager because I had told the lady behind the desk that I would sue her if she didn't get me checked in right that very second. Instead, I ended up barely convincing the manager not to throw us out and that I would calm down. I just wanted to get to my room and spend the rest of my Christmas with Max. Preferably a naked Max, but it was almost like she'd forgotten the whole thing that'd happened in the car. I sat down next to her on the couch that sat in the lobby, putting my arm around her and pulling her close. She leaned her head on my shoulder and closed her eyes, sighing a little. She must've been tired. She'd had quite the past couple days.

"Are we gonna open presents when we get to the room?" she asked softly, sounding sort of sleepy. I smiled at the sound of her quiet voice and kissed her forehead.

"If you want to," I replied, rubbing her shoulder.

"I can't wait for you to unwrap your present," she said with a yawn.

"I can't wait to unwrap you," I said under my breath, blushing when I realized that I'd said it out loud. There was no one else in the lobby except for the lady at the front desk, but still, Max had probably heard me.

"What?" she asked, totally oblivious.

"I said that I can't wait for you to unwrap yours either," I said quickly, trying to hide the blush on my face by looking away from her. She gave a contented hum and snuggled closer to me, her cheek pressed against my chest. I wondered if she could hear my heart racing.

"Did you still wanna go shopping while we're here?" she asked, her voice pulling me back to reality. I thought it over for a moment, thinking that maybe the crowds and a long day might not be the best idea for her right now. I didn't want her to over do it.

"We can go for a little bit, but you're supposed to be taking it easy for a little while," I said softly, twirling a strand of her chestnut hair between my fingers.

"Didn't you wanna see me try on clothes?" She asked, suddenly kissing my neck again. She knew that was one of my weaknesses, she knew how much I got off on the feeling of her lips against my skin. "Didn't you want me to put on a little fashion show for you?" Her voice had this raspy sound to it from her sleepiness and it made my insides melt. My knee was bouncing, trying to get rid of the restlessness and lust that was flowing through me in that moment and in every moment since what happened in the car.

"Yeah, but you need to rest," I said breathlessly, glancing over at the girl behind the counter. She wasn't there anymore, much to my relief. "You weren't exactly conscious yesterday."

"But I'm conscious now," she giggled, cupping my cheek with her hand and bringing my face down to hers, kissing me tenderly, her lips moving against mine. I kissed back, my nerves fluttering beneath my skin. She bit my bottom lip, making me pull her closer, my arm around her hip. When she pulled away, I was breathless, my heart beating so hard that I thought it was going to explode.

"I love you so much, Max," I whispered, looking down into her bright blue eyes. She smiled up at me and kissed me again, but it was a quick one this time. Then she was smiling at me again.

"I love you too, Victoria," she replied, grabbing my hand. God, she was so beautiful. There was so much there in her eyes, so many things that I wanted to explore. I wished that I could dive into her eyes and never have to come up for air, letting her consume me. I had never felt this way before and I never wanted it to end. It was so good that it hurt, but being in love with Max was the best kind of pain imaginable.

"Check in is open," the woman behind the counter's voice broke me from my thoughts, almost instantly filling me with irritation. I hated the sound of her voice and I had only heard it a few times. But my frustration faded when I felt Max squeeze my hand and stood, intertwining my fingers with hers. I sighed and stood, slinging Max's duffle bag over my shoulder and picking up my suitcase. I had made her let me carry it because I was not about to let my girlfriend carry her bag just after she got out of the hospital.

The woman at the counter gave me a weird look when we got to the counter and I had to fight the urge to ask her what the fuck she was looking at. I wondered if she was looking at me like that because of the way I'd treated her earlier or because she had seen me kissing Max. Either way, it didn't matter. Soon I would be in our hotel room and Max and I would be able to kiss all we wanted without interruption. I was leaving that "Do Not Disturb" sign on the doorknob for the rest of the time we were staying here because I had a feeling that every single interruption would annoy me to no end. I just wanted to be alone with Max.

The woman handed me two key cards and I finished the check in process as quickly as possible, finally walking into the elevator with Max at my side. We got to the our floor and found our room pretty quickly. When we walked in, I closed and locked the door behind us, putting the luggage by the closet. It was a pretty nice room, but I hardly noticed it when I saw Max lay down on the bed, the bottom half of her legs hanging over the side, bent over the side at the knees. She had dropped her messenger bag on the floor next the bed and had shed her gray hoodie, laying on the king sized bed with her arms laid over her head. She let out a sigh and stroked the sheets.

"This is the biggest bed I've ever seen," she said with a laugh, looking up at the ceiling after giving the bed a quick once over. I cleared my throat, trying to control the beating of my heart. She sat up, leaning back on her arms, her palms flat against the sheets. Her shirt was in slight disarray, showing a little bit of her stomach. "What?" She asked, looking worried.

I crossed the room, closing the space between us. When I reached her I cupped her cheeks with my hands and kissed her harder than I meant to. I couldn't help myself, I had to get some of this energy outside of my body before I exploded. She gasped in surprise as I kissed her, but she reacted quickly, kissing me back just as passionately. Her hands found their way into my hair, dragging me so close that it almost hurt. I moaned into the kiss, pulling away to breath. Trying to catch my breathe, I frowned a little, suddenly realizing how out of control I had been.

"I'm sorry, Max," I said breathlessly, clenching my hands into fists. "I've been -"

"Hella horny since I tried to seduce you in the car?" She interrupted me, smirking at me. Had she been planning for this? I blushed, unsure of how to answer that question, my eyes looking away from hers. She stood, cupping my cheek with her hand as she smiled gently. "I'm sorry, Tori. I didn't mean to upset you. I just… I don't know, I guess I was in the mood too and then it turned into me testing the waters to see if I could tempt you." She looked sort of guilty, the smile turning into a frown as her brows furrowed. I sighed and kissed her gently, pulling her close to me again.

"Well you did tempt me," I whispered, smirking at her. "But you didn't have to try so hard. You should know how thirsty I am by now." That made her laugh. Good, it was a beautiful sound and it made the mood less tense.

"I just wanted to make sure that… That you would still be in love with someone who was probably crazy," she murmured, looking away from me again. My heart stopped for a moment. Did she really think that I'd given up on her? She wasn't crazy, all of those things were real. Right? I just needed more time and proof, but proof might not be the best idea since it ended up putting her in the hospital last time.

"Max," I said softly, trying to keep the hurt out of my voice. "You're not crazy and I will always love you." I tried to sound sincere because it was true, but I was never good at this kind of thing. "You're one of best things to ever happen to me and I'm not about to give you up. Maybe it's time that I started trying to believe in things like that." She looked up at me again as I spoke, her eyes wide with surprise.

"You don't have to say that," she said softly, this weird look in her eyes. "If you don't believe me then that's ok, but please don't pretend that you do just because you feel bad for me."

"But I do believe you," I said firmly, searching her eyes. "I just don't know what to make of it. It's a big, crazy thing that doesn't really make much sense, but I believe you. Why would you make something like that up if you didn't believe it was real too?" She paused and I could see her searching for words that she didn't end up finding. Instead, she just hugged me really tight and buried her face in my chest. I smiled softly and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"I love you, Tori," she said, looking up at me again with tears in her eyes. My heart swelled in my chest because I could feel that she meant it. I leaned down and kissed her, taking in the warmth of her lips as it ignited tiny sparks in my stomach.

"I love you too, Maxine."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Max's POV

Friday, December 25th, 2013, 5:59pm

We spent the rest of the day cuddling and watching movies until dinner, when we opened our presents. I handed mine over, cringing a little at my awful wrapping job. Tori took the gift and turned it over in her hands a few times before unwrapping it, looking up at me curiously.

"I'm scared to know what it is," she said jokingly, smiling at me. I rolled my eyes and resisted the urge to bounce up and down on the bed with excitement. She took her time unwrapping it, making sure not to rip the paper as she set it aside in a neat pile. The photo album had a black leather cover with a place for a picture and a white part where I wrote "Memories" in my neatest handwriting, which wasn't saying much since my handwriting was never very neat to begin with.

Tori looked down at the album with a big smile on her face as she flipped through it. Only the first few pages were filled with pictures, most of them were us together or us with other people. There was even one in there with her and Taylor and I at the lake. She smiled, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.

"Max," she said softly, closing the album and holding it to her chest. "I love it. Thank you so much." I smiled back, moving so that I was sitting next to her. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders and moved the album so it was sitting on both of our knees.

"And there's more pages so that we can add more memories," I said with a smile as I flipped through all the empty pages. I looked up at her and she laughed softly, wiping tears from her eyes. "So you like it?" I asked softly, wiping away a tear that had escaped. She nodded, hugging me tight.

"Of course I do, you dork," she said shakily, hugging me so tight that it hurt a little but I hugged her back, not minding the pain.

"Good," I said, smiling. "Now where's mine?" I asked jokingly, giggling a little. Tori's eyes went wide and she cleared her throat, looking away from me.

"Oh uh," she stammered, looking around the room. "I, uh, left it at the hospital I think?" I looked at her skeptically, wanting to ask questions but deciding against it.

"Oh no, that really sucks," I replied, an idea coming to me. I smirked, moving the photo album so that it was sitting on the bedside table. "You could always give me something else to tide me over until we can go back and get it." Tori looked at me with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open a little.

"L-like what?" she stuttered, making me chuckle as I tugged at her sleeve a little.

"Oh, I don't know," I muttered, kissing her cheek. "Maybe I could look for something under all that clothes of yours?" It had sounded smoother in my head but it had the desired effect. She swallowed hard, her eyes flicking from my eyes to my lips.

"You really shouldn't be getting worked up," she protested weakly. "The doctor said that you shouldn't do anything too exciting for at least twenty four hours."

"I'll be fine," I said softly, kissing her neck a little, moving my hand to where the hem of her shirt was, slowly moving under it. She gasped softly, biting her lip. "Come on, you won't have to do anything. I'll just look around a little." My heart was racing now, I could hear it pounding in my ears as I moved my hand under her shirt.

"Max," she gasped out as I traced my fingers against her skin, biting down on her neck. She moaned a little, sending a wave of heat over my entire body. My hand found her bra and I moved my fingers along the edge of it, slowly moving a strap off of her shoulder.

"Let's get this shirt off, huh?" I said, moving away a little so that I could help her get it over her head. She didn't protest, lifting her arms to make my job easier. I tossed the shirt aside, smiling as I looked her up and down. Her face went red as she watched me look her over. I had seen her this way before, but I wanted to soak it in. I took in her light, evenly toned skin, flat stomach and the swell of her breasts under her bra. I had rarely felt this bold before, but I had suddenly started feeling like I could really be with Tori in this way. I wasn't scared to show her everything anymore. "Do you want me to take mine off too?" I asked her, meeting her eyes. She hesitated, searching my eyes.

"Max we really shouldn't be doing this, you might hurt yourself," she said nervously, still not covering herself from my gaze. I laughed softly, moving a bit of my hair out of my face.

"I feel fine, really," I said confidently, leaning in toward her. "Just relax, ok?" I whispered as I kissed her, my hands finding her bra and working to unstrap it. She breathed out a little, kissing me back. She wrapped her arms around me, tugging at my shirt. I got her bra off and dropped it off the bed, moving away to take off my own shirt. Tossing it aside, I cupped Tori's face in my hands, kissing her a little harder as I laid her down on the bed. She got my bra off and threw it across the room, her hands running up and down my skin. Every nerve in my body came alive, longing for her skin to be against mine. I laid myself down on top of her and felt our skin connect, wishing that I could stay in this moment forever.

I moved away from her lips to kiss her jaw, moving down to her neck as she gently dug her nails into my back. I bit down right where her neck connected to her shoulder. She gasped softly, arching her body against mine a little. She wanted this as much as I did, maybe even more. I could feel it as her chest heaved with each breath. I kissed down her chest, palming her breast. Pinching her nipple between my thumb and index finger, I left marks on her skin. I had never really experienced submissive Victoria, but I loved it. I loved the sounds she made, the way her body practically melted beneath me.

I moved my other hand down her stomach, my palm against her skin. I got to where her waistband was, moving my fingers under it a little. I felt her muscles tense beneath me and I pulled away a little, breathing heavily.

"Is this ok?" I asked breathlessly, looking over her flushed face. She had small red marks from her neck to her chest, her forehead beaded with sweat. It was already hella warm in the hotel room and this was only making it warmer. She nodded to me, her chest heaving.

"Just know that you can stop if you start to feel weird," she said between breathes. I smile and kissed her softly, biting her lip before I pulled away.

"I'm more worried about you," I said softly. "If I do something wrong just say so, ok?" She nodded, suddenly looking nervous. I kissed her again, moving my hand down under her loose sweat pants. I found her panties and went over them at first, moving my hand between her legs. I found a damp spot and pressed on it a little, bringing a quick, high pitched moan from Tori. I smiled, rubbing against the spot, still playing with her nipple. Tori was squirming beneath me, her whole body tensing and loosening under my touch. The sounds she made were making my heart race. My own body had started responding, making me want to go farther. I pulled away from her, moving to take off her pants.

"Oh my god, Max," Tori said quickly, sitting up. I looked up at her in surprise.

"What?" I asked, wondering if I had gone too fast and suddenly felt guilty.

"Your nose is bleeding again," she said breathlessly, jumping off the bed and grabbing a ton of tissues before she came back and pressed a few against my face. "Are you feeling ok? You're not dizzy or anything, right?" She had this really concerned look on her face, but it was mixed with concentration.

"No, I'm fine," I said softly, fascinated by the look on her face but also feeling a tad dizzy. It was nothing like yesterday, though, so I ignored it. There was a long pause between us as she cleaned the blood off of my face. "Was I at least doing a good job?" I asked sheepishly, watching her features melt into a blush and a smile.

"I can't believe that's what you're worried about right now when your brain could be melting for all we know," she said softly, still not meeting my eyes as she tried to stop the bleeding. It really wasn't that bad, but I could tell that helping me take care of it made her feel better, so I didn't protest.

"Well I was like hella focused and trying to make you feel good and then my stupid brain started melting so I was wondering if I at least did good for the first little while," I retorted, smirking a little. She blushed a little more, fidgeting a bit.

"You did good," she said softly, smiling a little. "It felt good." I loved that she was so embarrassed about this. She usually wasn't so bashful.

"Maybe we could continue after I get cleaned up?" I asked, letting suggestiveness sneak into my voice. She sighed and chuckled.

"You sure are determined to go back to the hospital, aren't you?" she said jokingly. I grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away from my face. The bleeding had stopped so at least I wasn't getting blood on the expensive sheets.

"I said that we could try to do this and I wanna try," I said firmly, looking into her dark green eyes. "I want to show you that I'm not afraid of giving you everything." She paused, her jaw tensed and her lips pursed.

"We did try," she softly. "And we'll try again when you're better. I don't want you to over do it and end up in the hospital again. Trust me, I've been thinking about this since… Well, since when isn't important, what's important is that you're ok so that we can actually enjoy our first time instead of it being a big mess of blood and ER visits." She was looking at me with that same look she'd given me when I woke up from my nightmare. Like I was someone so important that her world practically depended on me. I nodded, sighing.

"If it really means that much to you then I guess we can wait another twelve hours or so," I said with a smirk. She laughed and shook her head, handing me my shirt.

"Just get dressed and lay down," she said with a smile. I pouted, feigning hurt.

"Can't we at least be naked so I can pretend that I got to bang you?" I said only half joking. She laughed, shaking her head.

"I'm sure that would only make your nose bleeds worse, Caulfield," she said as she got her shirt on, fixing her sweatpants. She got cold easy, even in this sweltering hotel room. She crawled into bed with me and turned off the lights. Playing the little spoon, I eventually fell asleep, wrapped in Tori's arms.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

Victoria's POV

Saturday, December 26th, 2013, 7:32am

"Max!" I shouted, sitting bolt upright in the hotel room bed, sweating and panting. Max slowly opened her eyes, her face slack with sleepiness. She sat up and rubbed her eyes then put her hand on my shoulder, yawning.

"Hey, are you ok?" she asked, looking a little more awake and concerned. Her hair was all over the place, making me smile a little. Then I remembered my dream and blushed. God, not this shit again.

"Yeah, it was nothing, just a dream," I said quickly, getting out of bed. "We should get ready to go so that we can beat the crowds to the stores."

"But it's not even eight yet, none of the stores will be open," Max said with a strained voice as she stretched. I looked over my shoulder to see a bit of her skin showing beneath her shirt as she stretched her arms over her head. "Are you sure you're ok? You look a little flushed." She was looking at me with a concerned look on her face now, like I was about to fall apart or something. I smiled nervously and shook my head.

"I'm fine," I replied, my voice only shaking a little. It was hard for me to keep my guard up around Max anymore. I trusted her too much to keep it up. "Just a little shaken up, that's all." I turned away from her and walked into the bathroom, looking at my face in the mirror. My cheeks really were red and my pupils were dilated quite a bit. I cursed under my breath and turned on the faucet, splashing some water on my face. I felt Max wrap her arms around my from behind, leaning her head on my back as she yawned.

"Are you sure?" she asked sleepily, her cheek flat against my back. "You can always tell me if there's something you wanna talk about." I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

"I just had a kind of intense dream, ok?" I said dryly, trying to act like it wasn't a big deal. "I'm fine, it was just really… detailed."

"What was it about?" She asked, still sounding sleepy. It was really cute to hear her voice like that, but it was also really attractive. It was sort of raspy and sweet sounding and made me remember my dream even more.

"Well, you were in it," I said hesitantly, putting my hands on top of hers. Her fingers were so thin and delicate. But part of me knew that those hands had saved my life. Had saved a lot of lives according to what she had told me. I wondered if she saw the memories from that week whenever she looked at her hands. If she thought of Chloe.

"It wasn't a nightmare, was it? You sounded kind of upset when you woke up." Her voice brought me back to earth, but I didn't mind. Thinking about Chloe made me feel weird.

"No, it definitely wasn't a nightmare," I said softly, starting to blush again. God, what was wrong with me? "I need to take a shower." I slipped out of her arms and walked to turn on the shower. When I had gotten the water running, I turned around to see Max still standing there with a confused look on her face.

"Are you sure you're ok?" She asked, giving me a once over with her eyes. I swallowed hard, clenching my fists.

"God, I'm fine, ok?" I said sharply, immediately regretting how angry I sounded. Max's face fell into a frown and furrowed brow. She took a step toward me, taking my hand.

"Tori, whatever it is, you can tell me," she said softly, rubbing the back of my hand with her thumb. I felt like I was going to explode. I just needed some time to… deal with something. Everytime she touched me I could feel the pressure inside of my gut building the way it had been for a long time and it was driving me crazy. "I won't be upset or anything." I sighed, my resolve crumbling under her gaze.

"I'm just a little shaken up, ok?" I said softly, avoiding her gaze. I guess shaken up would be an appropriate way of putting it if I was a soda can filled with sexual tension. "I just need a couple minutes to think and a shower would really make me feel better." Max just smiled softly and nodded, getting on her tiptoes so that she could kiss me on the cheek, but I moved my head to the side, kissing her on the lips. It was a short kiss but it was almost enough to shove me over the edge. When I pulled away, I practically shoved Max out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind her.

When I was finally alone, I let out a sigh and got undressed. Folding my clothes and setting them on the counter, I looked at myself in the mirror as it started to steam over, wondering what Max would think if she could see me in that moment, totally exposed and vulnerable. I cleared my throat and shook my head, trying to clear it of the dangerous thoughts that tried to take over. I got into the shower and picked up the body wash I'd set in the basket on the edge of the tub the day before. I sighed in relief as I rubbed the soap over my skin. I had always loved getting clean, it was an amazing sensation. The feeling of everything gross and bad just being washed away had very few rivals in my mind. Well… One feeling was definitely competition.

I looked down at my naked body, wondering if I could maybe try and deal with the feelings I'd been experiencing by myself. I slowly started moving my hand down my exposed skin, my heart beat quickening as I got closer to my goal. Maybe I could just do it really quick? I just had to try to be quiet. I hadn't really serviced myself for a couple weeks because of finals so I knew it wouldn't take long to get to my climax. But I felt guilty. Max was right in the other room, probably worried sick about me. She had seemed to be feeling better. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we showered together. But what if we went all the way? Then our first time would be in a shower. Was that bad? I wasn't sure. I had always imaged that we'd do it on a bed or at least a couch.

But the idea of her being here with me was so tempting. Maybe we wouldn't go all the way. Maybe it would be like foreplay? I groaned in frustration, throwing the shower curtain aside and walking toward the door. I opened the door and walked out into the room.

"Maxine Caulfield," I said as I looked around the room. She was sitting on the bed with a bowl of cereal in her hand while watching something on Animal Planet or something. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me, her mouth hanging open. I walked over to her and took her bowl out of her hand, setting it on the table and grabbing her hand. "Come on, I need help showering."

"I, uh, I mean, if, ok," she stammered, following me to the bathroom. We got to the bathroom and I turned around to look at her. I was still holding her hand and she still had the same look on her face. That confused look of hers only made me more turned on. I could barely think but my head was somehow going a million miles an hour.

"Close the door," I said softly, letting go of her hand. She swallowed hard, nodding and kicking the door shut behind her. She looked me up at down, not saying anything. I sighed and crossed my arms under my chest which made her let out a little whine as my breasts shifted, resting on my arms. "Are you gonna be ok?" I asked, trying to remember who I was talking to.

"I just… Wowsers," she said breathlessly. "You're so… So…" She gestured to me weakly, blinking a couple of times. "Wowsers." I blushed a little, forcing myself to be a little more gentle with the stuttering hipster. I took a step toward her, pressing her body against the door as I pressed my chest against hers. She whimpered, her face going a deeper shade of red. "Holy shit." I giggled and leaned down, kissing her softly as I brought up my arms on either side of her, blocking her escape. She kissed me back, reaching out to put her hands on my hips. I pulled away before she could, helping her get her shirt off.

"We're going to shower together, ok?" I said as she got her bra off. "But we're not going to do anything we haven't already done until we get out. I don't want your first time to be in a shower."

"It'd be your first time too, you know," she said sort of indignantly. I chuckled and shrugged. "Plus, I've technically already touched you down there." She pointed out, taking off her pants. I paused, watching as she starting taking her panties off. Oh my god. I was pretty sure that I was going to explode.

"That's a good point," I said weakly. It wasn't until Max looked up at me that she realized how close to being completely naked she was. She went completely red and froze up, thumbs still hooked under her waistband. I bit my lip a little and met her eyes.

"Tell you what," I whispered, taking a step toward her and moving my hands down her arms until they were on her hands. "You can touch me down there, but I can't touch you. Then we can have your first time in a bed like the princess you are and I can have my first time in a shower because I'm dirty." I said suggestively. Max whined a little, her eyes still wide with shock. I really didn't care where we did it, as long as it was with Max, nothing else mattered.

"If that's what you want," she said weakly, still frozen with fear and nervousness. I smiled down at her and kissed her softly, pulling her panties down a little.

"I'm sure, my love," I said softly and leaned down to pull her panties off all the way. I stood back up and she kicked them off, covering herself a little. She looked away from me, grabbing onto her elbow and rubbing it a little, as self conscious as ever. She was practically covered in freckles. It was adorable. I wanted to kiss every single one of them until she was covered in my kisses as well. "Come on, we should get started. We do actually have to get clean too." She nodded and I took her hand, leading her into the shower. When we were both in, I closed the curtain and tried to look less nervous than I felt. Now that I was face to face with Max, her entire body totally exposed to me, I was scared. I didn't want to hurt her. I put my hands on her shoulders and turned her around so that she was facing the wall instead of me.

"I'll wash your hair and stuff then you can do the same for me," I said softly, giving her a kiss on the cheek to hopefully calm her down a little. She did relax a little, but her shoulders were still tense. "That way we can ease into it a little. Take it slow." I said softly, running my hand down her back, kissing her neck a little before moving her back a little so that she was under the water. I grabbed the shampoo, squeezing some into her hair and lathering it around a little. I could see Max's shoulders move down a little as she relaxed, letting out a sigh. I smiled and brought her head under the water to wash out the shampoo. After that, I conditioned it, wondering if she did that regularly when she showered alone. I let the conditioner set for a couple minutes before rinsing it out. In the meantime, I traced the lines of her shoulders and back, counting her freckles as I did so. I heard her let out little gasps when my fingertips touched certain parts of her skin. I wondered if she was getting as turned on as I was.

After I rinsed out the conditioner, I let her wash her body, figuring that she would want to do it herself. Well, for the most part. She asked me to get her back because she couldn't reach it. There was a loofah on a stick hanging from a small hook on the wall, but I was more than happy to help her. I lathered up her back with the white bubbles, unable to resist the urge I got to grab her ass. She squeaked, jumping a little. I chuckled and kissed her cheek.

"Sorry, I had to," I giggled, my hands still not moving away. "It's just so close. I never get to touch it in public so this is to make up for it." Max giggled and turned her head to kiss me.

"It's ok. I always catch you staring at it anyways," she said, turning around completely to face me. She had smirk on her face that made my knees weak. I helped her rinse off and then we switched so that I was the one under the water. She washed my hair, doing a surprisingly good job of lathering my hair. Then she conditioned it, waiting about the same amount of time I had for her before rinsing it out of my hair. When she had been waiting for the conditioner to set, she had just started kissing my shoulders and back, running her fingertips down my sides. I tilted my head back as she did so, letting out small moans every now and then. I could barely take it anymore. I loved these moments with her so much but I wanted them to go deeper. I wanted her so badly that it hurt.

"Are you ready?" She whispered, biting my ear as she grabbed at my breasts. I moaned softly, nodding. She was standing behind me, using one hand to play with my nipple and traveling down my torso with the other. She kissed my neck and shoulder, teasing me as she made tiny circles on my skin just above my sex. I was so ready that I was shaking with anticipation.

"Fuck," I breathed as she reached down farther, her fingers finding my clit. She grinned against my skin, biting down on my shoulder. I gasped softly as she made tiny circles on my clit, causing my knees to buckle beneath me. I was glad that she at least knew where that was. I felt my whole body getting even warmer than it had been even with the hot water on my skin. She started to rub a little hard, quickening her pace. I moaned, loud and long, having to lean forward to balance myself by putting my hands against the slick wall.

"Are you ok?" She asked, starting to pull her hand away. I grabbed her wrist and nodded.

"God please don't stop," I said breathlessly, my head hanging down a little because I was trying to catch my breath. She had barely done anything but I was like putty in her hands.

"Here, turn around," she said, pulling her hand away to help me and make sure I didn't slip. She grinned at me, kissing me tenderly and wrapping her arms around my neck. I kissed her back, pulling her close. When she pulled away, she slowly brought her hand back down, smirking at me. "I want to see the look on your face when I make you cum." I whined, resisting the urge to clench my legs together as she started rubbing my clit again. I closed my eyes, pressing the back of my head against the wall as she slowly used one finger to enter me. When she did I gasped a little, slightly surprised. She looked up at me, kissing my collar bone.

"Is that ok?" she asked, moving it in a out a little. I nodded, my hands clenched into fists.

"Use another one," I gasped out, moving my hips against her palm which was pressed against my clit. She nodded, entering another finger inside me and thrusting, making me moan. "Oh god, Max." She bit at my skin, slowly moving down to take my nipple gently between her teeth. "Fuck, Max faster." She obliged, thrusting into me faster, hitting just the right spot over and over again.

"Tell me when you're almost there," Max said, sounding breathless. I let out moans with each thrust, feeling myself get closer and closer to the edge. To the release I'd been waiting for. And Max was the one taking me there. I felt a white heat building in my lower abdomen, making me see stars.

"I'm almost there," I said breathlessly but way louder than I meant to. "Oh god, fuck. Max!" I practically screamed her name, my whole body being rushed by a wave of white hot release. I felt myself pulsing around her fingers, breathing heavily as my vision cleared. I looked down to see Max looking up at me with a shit eating grin on her face.

"Was that good?" she asked, taking her fingers out from inside me and bringing them to her lips. She licked them clean, savoring the taste as she did so.

"So good," I said breathlessly, kissing her tenderly. I could taste myself on her lips and it made me ten times more eager for it to be my turn on her. I turned off the water and lead her out of the bathroom. "Come on, it's my turn to do you."


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

Max's POV

Saturday, December 26th, 2013, 7:52am

Victoria was naked. Victoria Chase was naked. With me. On top of me and was touching me. Like actually touching me. And did I mention that she was naked? Oh and I was naked! She had practically shoved me onto the bed and was kissing me so hard that I was pretty sure she wanted to crush me into the mattress. She was laying on top of me, our bare skin touching and brushing and I think that my entire body was set on fire, but I can't be a hundred percent sure. Her lips were pressed against mine, her hands travelling along my skin, sending shivers and waves of heat through me until I was pretty sure my brain was actually melting. Or maybe my whole body was melting?

She started kissing my neck, biting hard and sucking at my skin until it turned red. I was definitely going to have to wear a scarf when we went out today. Good thing it was cold. She was squeezing my breasts, making me moan and everything. I had never actually legit made any sound like that before, but I could tell that Tori liked it because it just seemed to encourage her. My head was spinning and I couldn't catch my breathe, but I didn't care, it all felt so amazing. She was kissing down my chest, then my stomach. I tensed up, my entire body practically buzzing with anticipation. Tori looked up at me for a second, locking her eyes with mine as she kissed lower.

"Wait," I squeaked, almost crushing her head between my thighs. She frowned a little, her perfectly manicured nails running down my stomach. I hadn't noticed how short they were before as they left little red marks down my pale skin.

"What? Was it too fast?" She looked more concerned than annoyed, but she also definitely looked a little annoyed.

"You don't have to do that," I said breathlessly, covering myself with my hands. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do what?" She asked, smirking a little. Was she enjoying this? God, she so would. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.

"What you were about to do," I said, not wanting to say what it actually was. "I didn't do it for you."

"But I want to," she said with a grin. "Wouldn't you do it for me?" I swallowed hard, nodding. I had wanted to, but I also wouldn't have been able to get into a good position in that stupid shower.

"Of course I would," I said quickly. "I still can if you want." She laughed and kissed my thigh, biting me a little. I whimpered, clutching the sheets beneath me. "Fuck," I breathed. How was she so good at this?

"Just relax, Maxine," she said softly, grabbing one of my thighs with one hand and one of my hands in the other, intertwining our fingers. "Just try to enjoy yourself." God, how could I not? I was having sex with the person I loved most in the world and it was so fucking good. Pun totally intended. I nodded, watching as she smirked and brought her face down until she was using her tongue to explore me. I tensed up again, clutching her hand and the sheets. I felt like I was being struck by lightning every time she moved.

She took my clit between her teeth, licking it a little. I moaned, arching my back. I could've sworn I started seeing stars but I couldn't be sure. It was all so fast and hazy and oh my god her tongue was inside me! She pulled away, all of my muscles suddenly loosening. I was gasping for air, staring up at the ceiling.

"Wow, Max," she chuckled. "I've barely started and you sound like you're about to cum already." Fuck, her voice sent butterflies erupting into my stomach and a weird tingling through my entire body.

"I'm just not used to this," I said breathlessly. I didn't service myself much and I'd never gotten this far with another person before, so it was all so new and strong that I wasn't sure how to process any of it.

"Here, let's try this," she said softly, entering me with one finger, making me moan louder than I meant to. She chuckled and entered another finger before going back to lick my clit. My whole body was exploding into flames with every thrust of her fingers and I felt something building in my gut.

"Tori, I think - oh god, I think I'm…" I couldn't even finish my sentence because my whole body locked up and all I could see was white as waves of heat exploded through me. I practically screamed name before the waves subsided. When it faded, I fell limp against the mattress, breathing heavily with my heart racing in my chest. I felt Tori crawl up the bed until she was on top of me again, looking down at me with a smile on her face. When I opened my eyes, her eyes were locked with mine and I couldn't help smiling. "You've got a little something right here." I rubbed my thumb against the side of my mouth to show her what I meant and she laughed. I giggled and kissed her, kind of enjoying the way her mouth tasted against mine in that moment. She wrapped her arms around me and laid down on top me. She wasn't that heavy so it was just a nice sort of pressure against my chest and stomach. We were both still trying to catch our breathe, smiling and giggling like kids. I was so happy that it filled every part of my body, a permanent feeling of warmth washing over me.

"You're way too good at that," I said with a grin. She laughed, laying her head on my chest.

"Yeah, that's payback for all the suspense you put me through," she said softly, smiling as she closed her eyes. After a bit of a pause, she cleared her throat and started playing with a strand of my hair. "Was it good for you?" She asked, nervousness radiating from her in waves. I couldn't help laughing a little, kissing the top of her head.

"Are you kidding?" I asked, still laughing a little. "I didn't think it was possible for anything to feel so good. Plus, even if you did suck, we can always practice." She giggled and nodded, closing her eyes again.

"You did pretty good too," she said softly. "I mean, for someone with so little experience."

"Oh, such burn, very ouch," I said with mock hurt in my voice. I stroked her hair, smiling down at her. "Plus, you're one to talk little miss virgin."

"Well, I'm not a virgin anymore so you can't call me that," she retorted, pouting a little. I laughed and hugged her close.

"You're so cute, Tori," I said softly, running my hand up and down her back. "I love you. Like a lot, you know?" She smiled, snuggling closer to me.

"I love you more, Maxine."

12:31pm

After we had regained ourselves, we had decided to go out so that Victoria could finally take me shopping. I was kind of excited to see the infamous Victoria Chase in action. Besides being known for her colossal bitchiness most of the time, she was also known for her incredible fashion sense. She was always up to date on everything and had even started her own trends at our school a few times. Plus, she always looked good. It was one thing to be able to afford that kind of thing, but it was a totally different talent that allowed Tori to always look amazing in what she wore.

I put on my usual t shirt and jeans along with my gray hoodie. I hadn't brought a scarf with me so I couldn't hide the hickeys Tori had left on my neck and one that just barely showed from beneath the collar of my shirt. I sighed and walked into the bathroom where Tori was applying her makeup, currently working red lipstick across her lips. I cleared my throat and moved the collar of my shirt aside a little.

"Hey, how can I cover these?" I asked, showing her the dark marks that had been left down my neck. Tori smirked, taking a step toward me to exam her handy work. They were worse than usual, dark and super noticeable against my pale skin. She brushed her fingertips against them, watching my throat bob as I swallowed hard.

"Why would you want to cover these?" She asked, watching me tense a little at her suggestive tone. She was just trying to tease me, but it was turning me on again. "Don't you want everyone to know that you're taken?" I laughed softly and rolled my eyes.

"I think they got the memo when I screamed your name earlier," I replied, feeling a little more bold than usual, blushing a little at my own comment. "Plus, isn't this supposed to be a secret?" Tori paused, worrying her bottom lip as she took a step back.

"Yeah, you've got a point," she said weakly, going to dig through her make up bag. She pulled out a thing of concealer and walked toward me again, going to apply it. "I wouldn't worry about seeing anyone from Blackwell here, though. Nobody here knows who we are, really. We could act like a couple all day long and not have to worry about a thing." She had this thoughtful look on her face that made me a little concerned. I smiled a little, tilting my head so that she could put the concealer over the marks.

"I would like that," I said softly, moving my hair off of my neck. "I could hold your hand and everything." She scoffed, smiling through her concentration.

"Is that all you'd wanna do with me in public?" She asked, sounding suggestive but also thoughtful. I paused, thinking for a moment.

"Well, I mean, I could kiss you too," I said after a pause. "And open doors for you and help you carry stuff and tell you how beautiful you are and make you laugh with my stupid joke. I could even have a nice conversation with you. You know, stuff we can't do at school." I hadn't meant to say the last part out loud because I knew that she would get that hurt look on her face. I knew that she hated keeping our relationship a secret as much as I did, but I had never said anything bad about it before. I hadn't complained. Because I just wanted to be with her. It would be nice if people could know, but I knew how important her reputation was to her. Sometimes I wondered if it was more important to her than I was, but I didn't dare to ask because I knew that it wasn't about what was more important. It was about surviving in a world that had never shown any love for the people like us. People who were too different, who grew up too different, to be in love.

Tori finished applying the concealer, not saying anything for a long time. I sighed and looked at the ground.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," I said softly, trying to think of something I could say, anything, that would get that awful look off of her face. Her brows were slightly scrunched together, her lips pursed and her jaw clenched because she was holding back a frown.

"Don't apologize, Max," she said softly, letting out a sigh before setting her lipstick down on the counter again. "I know that this sucks. I wish that it wasn't like this, but I'm so scared." She clenched her fists against the marble counter, avoiding my eyes. "I want to tell people, but I'm scared that they'll still treat you the same as they always have. At least if I have some respect from them then I can protect you, say that maybe you aren't so bad and that maybe you just had a hard life. Stuff that they can relate to. Everyone thinks that people like me, people like Nathan and Taylor, they think that we're just one dimensional bullies with nothing to worry about because we have everything handed to us. That's not true. We've been through shit too. And now that Nathan is in prison, it's only gotten worse. He was sick, Max. He needed help and he thought the shithead Jefferson could help, but all he did was hurt Nathan and land him in prison. Now the rest of us are cast in an even worse light because we knew him and we cared about him and he was our friend. He's still my friend. He's like a brother to me. And I feel guilty because even after what he did, I still care about him. I still want to help him."

She was shaking, her eyes filling with tears. I pushed away my own tears as I remembered that day. The day Nathan killed Chloe. The day Jefferson killed Nathan and how he had called me to warn me. I knew Nathan wasn't all bad, but it still hurt to think about forgiving someone who killed my best friend, one person I had loved more than anyone else. I took a step toward her, putting my hand on her shoulder. I pushed everything else aside when I saw her face. She was in so much pain. How could I have not seen this before?

"Hey, come here," I said softly, putting my hand on her shoulder. Tori turned to me and wrapped me in her arms, holding me tight. I wrapped my arms around her, squeezing her a little. "It's ok, everything's ok. I'm with you no matter what, I promise." She squeezed me tighter, tangling her fingers in my hair and hoodie.

"I love you so much, Max," she said shakily, still trying not to cry. "I don't want you to get hurt. I wish I could scream it to the world, but I don't want them to hurt you." I kissed her neck softly, wishing that I could go back and fix what I said, but I think that it was good that she got all this out in the open.

"As long as I have you, nothing else matters," I whispered, smiling a little. She sniffled and pulled away a little, wiping her eyes. "I love you, Tori." She smiled, blushing a little.

"I'm sorry I got all weird there for a second," she said softly, grabbing a tissue to blow her nose as she walked over to fix her makeup.

"Don't be sorry," I said cheerfully, hopping up to sit on the counter. "We're gonna go have fun and it's gonna be awesome. You'll get to dress me up and all that fun stuff." That got a giggle out of her, which made me smile.

"You sure you're up for that?" She asked, going back to putting on her makeup. I nodded, letting my legs swing a little in the air between my feet and floor.

"Yeah, just as long as you don't go buying a bunch of crazy stuff," I replied, watching her as she dried her eyes and put on some mascara. She always looked amazing, with or without makeup. But she liked wearing it and it definitely didn't bother me when she wore it.

"No promises, Caulfield," she replied, giving me a smirk when she had finished putting everyone on. "I wanna be able to spoil you as much as possible." I giggled and hopped off the counter, holding out my hand to her.

"You ready?" I asked, excited to see what the day had in store for us. Or what the stores had in store for us, I guess. The thought made me smile to myself. Tori nodded and took my hand.

"Yep, let's go."

We hit a lot of stores and I swear that Tori made me try on almost everything they had. At one point, she made me try on this crazy dress that I couldn't even get on and she had to sneak into the dressing room to help me get it on. The stores had a strict one person per changing room policy. Which I totally understood and had to explain to Tori when she tried to convince me that making out in public would be fun because of the danger of getting caught. To which I said something along the lines of not wanting that idea of danger to become a reality just yet. I guess Tori had a weird thing about doing nasty stuff when there was a chance we'd get caught. I mean, I could see the appeal, but also wasn't exactly confident that we'd be able to play it off as two girls just helping each other try on clothes.

She dragged me from store to store, picking out items of clothing and holding them in front of me to see if they were worth trying on. We started with outfits, going to a bunch of different stores that I never would've shopped in before we almost walked right past a store that I actually liked to shop in.

"Wait!" I said excitedly, tugging on Tori's hand to pull her into the Hot Topic store. A lot of people thought that most of this stuff was more Chloe's scene, but I loved the shirts they had here. I had a t shirt with a cat in a taco shell from here as well as a pair of baggy Gryffindor sweatpants that I only wore when it got way too cold. Tori let out an audible noise that could only be described as disgust.

"Are you serious?" She asked, following me into the store anyway. I hopped a little, unable to keep down my excitement.

"I'm as serious as smallpox, babe," I said with a big smile on my face. "This place is awesome! Plus, I have to try on all that other clothes so now it's your turn to try on some stuff for me. Who knows, maybe you'll like it." She scoffed, rolling her eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest, shopping bags hanging from her arms. I pouted at her a little, pressing myself against her shoulder. "Come on, pretty please?" She sighed, running her fingers through her hair.

"Fuck, fine!" She growled, smiling a little when I squealed in delight. "But don't take too long. You could probably get some sort of STD just from standing in here for too long." I laughed, picking out a dress that was black on the upper part and then turned to dark, subtle leopard print for the skirt. It had a thin, black leather belt on the waist. I looked it over and tossed it over my shoulder, walking over to a rack of jackets and stuff like that. I picked out a sheer black cardigan looking thing and handed both pieces of clothing to Tori who gave me a surprised look.

"Ok, just because it looks good now doesn't mean that it'll look good when I get it on," she said gruffly and walked into the dressing room. I looked over the Adventure Time stuff, picking up a tank top that had Princess Bubblegum and Marceline on it. They were laying on the grass with a brick wall between them like in that one Spongebob episode and the wall had black print on it that said "Cannon".

"I feel that," I said with a giggle and looked at the price tag. It was twenty bucks, which was the same price as most of the stuff in here. I shrugged and held onto it. "Worth it."

"What do you think?" Tori's voice came from behind me and when I turned around, I smiled in spite of myself. The dress suited her figure well, showing off her curves and a little bit of cleavage. The sheer cardigan thingy also gave it a nice, completed look. Sometimes dresses couldn't always stand alone, but I figured this one could.

"Wow, I'm digging the grunge look," I said with a grin. "It kind of suites your 'Fuck all of you' personality." She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips, smirking at me.

"The only person here I wanna fuck is you, Max, and you know that," she said in a low voice, making my heart jump in my chest. I swallowed hard and let out a little laugh, trying to keep myself from blushing.

"So do you like it?" I asked, sort of nervous that she'd hate it. I mean, I know that I didn't have the best fashion sense most of the time, but I wasn't totally inept. I knew when something looked good. Or that's what I liked to believe, anyway. Tori blushed a little and avoided my eyes, looking at a necklace on the rack next to us.

"It's not the worst thing I've ever worn," she said hesitantly. I held in a fist pump and just grinned at her, leaning close to her. She gave me an annoyed look and I just smirked at her.

"Welcome to the dark side, Chase, we've been waiting for you," I whispered, kissing her cheek before pulling away, walking toward the cash register. "Now come on, we have more stores to go to."

I paid for my Bubbline tank top and Tori actually bought the outfit I'd picked out, along with a pair of pretty fancy looking sun glasses. We made our way through two or three more stores, still shopping for me most of the time. I had never really liked shopping too much, but it was fun to do it with Tori because of how concentrated she got. It was cute how much she cared about this kind of thing. The fact that she was able to care about something like this so much showed how dedicated she was to everything else in her life. At the last store, she picked out something that was a little more my speed, which was a surprise. She had been searching through so many different styles this whole time. Had she been gauging my likes and dislikes this whole time, trying to find just the right look? She walked over, handing me a pair of really nice jeans and a shirt that would show off a little bit of my stomach and a jacket that was a way nicer, black version of my hoodie. I looked at the items, feeling uncertain.

"Come on, it's ok," she said with a small smile. "You don't have to like it, just try it on and tell me what you think. I nodded and took the clothes, walking into a changing room. I got the clothes on, looking at myself in the mirror. The clothes had a really odd, but somehow pleasant way of hanging off of the curves of my body but still showed off what little curves I had. The shirt showed off a little bit of my stomach which actually looked surprisingly good. I swallowed hard, still unsure. I opened the door to the dressing room, seeing Victoria with her phone in her hand, scrolling through something. Probably Twitter. I cleared my throat and she looked up at me, her mouth dropping for only a second before she regained herself, taking a few steps toward me. She motioned for me to turn around in a full circle and I obeyed, feeling her eyes travel over me. When I faced her again, she was smirking at me.

"I knew those jeans would make your ass look amazing," she whispered, kissing me. "What do you think? Do you like it?" Her tone was lighter, cheerful as she backed up to look me over one more time, a hungry look in her eyes. Well, I knew that she definitely liked it. It was surprisingly grunge. I smiled and nodded, because I really did like it. It felt good and it looked nice.

"Yeah, I really like it," I replied, putting my hands in the pockets of the jacket. Tori smiled and stepped closer to me again, taking both of my hands in hers.

"Good," she said softly, kissing me. It was soft and tender, her warm lips moving against mine slowly.

"Hey! There are kids in here!" A woman's voice shouted at us. Tori pulled away, glaring at the woman, lifting up her hand to flip her off, but I grabbed her wrist just in time.

"Not worth it," I said quietly, watching her face as it went from anger to a hint of hurt before she nodded to the changing room.

"You should go ahead and change so we can get back to the hotel and order some dinner," she said with a soft smile on her face. I smiled and nodded, going back to change into my normal clothes. Today had been a good day and Tori had only spent a somewhat normal amount of money. We went back to the hotel room and ordered dinner, sitting in bed as we ate.

It had been a great day.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

Victoria's POV

Wednesday, December 31st, 2013, 8:54pm

"But what if -" Max was saying, sitting cross legged on my bed. I was at my desk, editing working on my essay.

"Maxine, I am not going to dye my hair pink and that's final," I said, having a hard time holding in my laughter. She was so insistent on the whole thing. She climbed off my bed and sat in my lap, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. My heart raced in my chest as she pressed herself against me.

"Just a light pink, almost silvery," she pleaded, playing with my hair. "It would look so cool! And then you could be kind of like a pixie or an anime character." She giggled, a strange hint to her voice. My brows furrowed and I looked up at her to see her grinning down at me. I sighed and leaned my head on her shoulder.

"How did you know?" I asked, refusing to meet her eyes. I felt humiliated, nobody but Taylor and Nathan knew about my love for anime. Well, except Courtney, but she would never tell anyone because she was too afraid to cross me.

"Well, you do have that Blueberry figure standing very proudly by your stereo," she replied, kissing the top of my head. "I might have… Oh, I don't know. Taken a picture of it in a different timeline." I looked up at her, eyes wide.

"Are you serious?" I asked, feeling even more embarrassed. Then, something dawned on me. "Wait. I let you in my room?" I asked. She blushed, starting to get off my lap. I stopped her, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close. My heart started beating a little faster, but I ignored it. One thing at a time. Max avoided my gaze, messing with the bands on her wrists. "Are you saying that… That you came into my room without me knowing?" I asked, shocked to say the least. I would've been pissed if it had been anyone else, but Max knew most things about me already, so I was only sort of frustrated that she wouldn't just say it.

"I just needed to look around a little," she said sheepishly, still not meeting my gaze. "I didn't steal anything, I just looked around."

"And took pictures of my stuff?" I laughed, surprised at how well I was taking all of this. It felt strange but almost normal. It could've been worse, I guess. Plus, there was no point in getting pissed over something that happened in the past. Or, did it never happen at all? I shook my head, trying to organize my thoughts.

"Just be glad that I never showed anyone," Max retorted, giggling a little. "Plus, I was hella nice to you in that timeline and you still didn't seem to like me all that much." I paused, looking away from her. She was smiling at me, but the look faded from her face when she saw me look away.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you," I said softly, taking her hand delicately in mine. I looked down at her fingers, bringing them to my lips and kissing each one. "I felt threatened by you. But I also had… Feelings for you. I didn't deal with it very well. I'm so sorry for the way I treated you. You didn't deserve that." I felt tears welling up in my eyes and it took everything I had to keep myself together. I had always regretted the way I'd treated Max, but I had never said anything about it before and neither had she. She lifted my chin so that I met her eyes. She was smiling softly, her gaze soft and calming.

"None of that matters anymore," she whispered, wiping away a tear that made its way down my cheek. "If I can forget about all of that stuff, so can you." I nodded a little, looking up into her eyes. I hadn't expected her to be so forgiving. Relief washed over me in waves, making me smile back at her. I hugged her tight, burying her face in her chest. She hugged me back, smoothing out my hair.

"I love you," I said softly, feeling better than I had in a long time.

"I love you too," she said with a laugh, kissing the top of my head. I felt her shift in my lap like she was looking at something. "Hey, who's are these?" She asked. I looked up to see a pair of thin framed glasses in her hand and my heart stopped.

"Hey, put those down!" I protested, reaching out to grab them. Max laughed and held them just out of reach. "They're very expensive!"

"Everything you own is expensive," she said with a chuckle, getting off my lap and running across the room. "Are these yours?" She asked, putting the glasses on. She squinted then crossed her eyes, looking a little surprised. Taking them off, she shook her head and rubbed her eyes. "Jesus, Tori, you're totally blind!" I felt a combination of irritation and embarrassment rising in my chest as I stomped over to her. Grabbing for my glasses, I was surprised at how quickly Max moved them just out of my reach.

"Give them back," I whined, stomping my foot against the carpeted floor. "You weren't supposed to find them. She huffed in amusement and rolled her eyes.

"Seriously?" She said, holding them up to look at them in the light. "Tori, you should be wearing these." She held them out to me. I grabbed them from her, folding them and gently placing them on the desk.

"I have contacts," I replied stiffly, crossing my arms over my chest. "Glasses never looked good on me."

"Let me see!" Max said excitedly, grabbing them off the desk and handing them to me. "Pretty please?" She begged, holding them out to me. I hadn't worn them in front of anyone except Nathan in years. I hated wearing them. Chases were supposed to be perfect in every way, untouchable. But I was born with really shitty vision, which left me wearing glasses and contacts for the rest of my life. Luckily, no one had to know about me not being able to see since I had contacts, but when I took them out it was a real struggle to see much of anything. I had managed to change them and everything without Max knowing, but now here she was, giving me that dorky smile, her eyes bright with excitement.

"Fine, just let me take my contacts out so I don't blind myself," I sighed and made my way over to my desk and taking my contact stuff out. It was all pretty basic stuff, nothing fancy. I took my contacts out and put everything away before turning back to Max. Everything was blurry and hard to make out, but it was my room, I knew it by heart. Even Max's blurry figure fit perfectly. She took a few steps toward me, holding up three fingers in front of my face with a stupid grin on her face.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked, trying to get on my nerves. I scoffed and took my glasses from her other hand.

"You know that's not how it works," I replied, putting the glasses on. The world came into focus again and Max was smiling so big I was pretty sure that her face would be sore later. "What's that face for?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I could feel my face getting hot just from her looking at me. Was she going to pick on me or something?

"You look so cute," she giggled, clapping her hands together in excitement. I groaned, looking away from her, but keeping my chin up.

"Shut up, Caulfield," I said dryly, but my inside were melty. Max thought I was cute in my glasses. She took a few steps toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck as she pressed herself against me. I froze up a little, my heart starting to race. I looked down to meet her eyes and she was smirking at me.

"You know, the nerd look suits you," she said softly, playing with my hair. I cleared my throat, reluctantly letting my arms fall from their crossed position and wrap around Max's waist.

"You think so?" I asked, my voice shaking a little. I still felt super self conscious and wasn't used to having the bridge of my nose clamped down on by my glasses.

"Oh yeah, you look hella sexy," she said in a low voice, kissing me softly. I kissed her back, still sort of confused. When she pulled away, I looked down at her with a frown on my face.

"Wait, you like this?" I asked, unsure of what was happening. No one had ever liked seeing in my glasses. Nathan hadn't hated them but he said that it freaked him out when I wasn't wearing them one second and then I was the next. He was weird about stuff like that. Max nodded, smirking.

"Yeah, why?" She asked, suddenly looking embarrassed. I laughed softly and shook my head.

"I just thought I looked gross in them," I replied, adjusting them so they sat more comfortably on my face. Max let out a breath, looking like I had just asked her to fuck me senseless or something. Well, I imagine that the response would be similar in that situation. I chuckled and rolled my eyes. "Oh my god, seriously? Glasses? Gross, nerd glasses?" Max tangled her fingers in my hair, looking me in the eyes like it was the last time she'd ever see me.

"Shut up and kiss me, nerd," she replied, pulling me into a kiss. I was surprised at first, stumbling a little, but I regained myself quickly. I kissed her back, tangling my fingers in her shirt. She was pressed so close to me that any possible space that there could be between us was nonexistent. I still couldn't believe that she liked me in glasses. It was like some sort of weird phenomena, mysterious and kind of weird. But I wasn't complaining. I tugged at her shirt, wanting it off as soon as possible. Max obliged, lifting her arms so that I could pull the shirt over her head. When we separated, she helped me get my shirt off too, knocking my glasses out of place. I had never made out with someone while I was wearing them. It felt weird and they were fogging up.

"Did you still want me to do that thing you did for me back at the hotel?" Max asked breathlessly, looking over me hungrily. She looked dangerous, insaciable. My gut filled with warmth and it spilled over down south, causing my heart to beat so quickly that I was sure it would give out.

"Ever since I laid my eyes on that stupid freckled face of yours," I replied, pulling her into another kiss. She moaned, fumbling with my bra until it fell off, landing on the ground between us. I kicked it aside and moved to shove Max onto my bed. She fell backwards, landing in a sitting position on the edge of my mattress. I straddled her, kissing her so hard that I was pretty sure it would bruise. She pulled away, moving to kiss my neck. I tilted my head to the side, savoring the warmth of her lips against my skin. She bit down on the skin just above my collar bone. I let out a softly moan, grabbing at fist fulls of her hair. I was so glad that there were only two other people on our floor right now and that they were way at the end.

That reminded me that I would have to go and talk to Taylor at some point. Suddenly, as if on cue, my phone dinged. I sighed, pulling away from Max. She whined and gripping at my hips.

"Come on, just ignore it," she begged, her voice low and sort of raspy. I swallowed hard and tore my eyes from her, leaning over to grab my phone off of my bedside table. It was a text from Taylor asking if she could come over so that I could help her with her Chemistry homework.

"Damn you, Taylor," I breathed, getting up from Max's lap. She frowned at me, her eyes sad and puppy like. I let out a sigh and ran my fingers through my hair. "Max, I have to. She'll suspect something if I say no. She know's that I have nothing else to do."

"You could do me, tell her that you're working on some extra credit or something," she said, looking at me with pleading eyes. I bit down on my lip, trying to find something reasonable to say.

"Max, you know that I would spend this whole night just exploring every inch of you, making you mine until you're nothing but a panting mess, but I have to keep up appearances," I said, smiling a little and leaning down to kiss her. She groaned, standing up as we kissed to press herself against me. She pulled away, leaning her forehead against mine.

"Fine, but you owe me big time," she said reluctantly, grabbing her shirt off the floor. It was the only item of clothing I had managed to get off of her. It was sad in a way. I had always wanted to do that stuff with her in my bed. It was almost like another way of claiming her. Or maybe her claiming me? Either way, it didn't matter. "I'm honestly surprised that Taylor is actually studying and not out partying." Max's voice sounded sarcastic, so I laughed a little, thinking the same thing. She pulled her shirt on and tried to fix her hair a little. She took a step toward me and gave me a quick kiss.

"Come back later?" I asked, grabbing her wrist. She smiled and nodded, kissing me again. It hurt to watch her leave. I wished that she could stay. I wished that Taylor was out partying instead of studying like a decent student for once, but we don't always get what we want.

Taylor came by a couple minutes after Max left. She just barged into my room, wearing her pajamas and carrying a couple of textbooks in her arms. I had been able to get dressed again and fix myself up a little before she got there. I had even managed to put my contacts back in.

"I can't believe they gave us homework over the holidays," she said, setting her textbooks down on my bed. I heard the soft sounds of guitar playing coming from across the hall and wondered if Max was playing. I loved when she played the guitar. "So how was your super depressing holiday break here at Blackwell?" Taylor's voice broke through my day dreaming and I looked up at her. She was smiling at me, but not in a nice way. She must've been really stressed. She had only just gotten back from visiting her mom in the hospital, so I could understand why she would be so on edge. I leaned back in my desk chair, trying to put on my normal facade.

"Shitty," I replied, letting a little coldness creep into my voice for extra effect. "How's your mom doing?" I softened my voice a little with the question. Yeah, Taylor wasn't my best friend, but she was pretty damn close. She let out a sigh and shook her head.

"She's recovering," Taylor replied, sitting down on my bed next to her textbooks. There was a bit of a pause before she spoke again. "So, any progress with Lamefield?" She asked, the question totally catching me off guard. I hadn't talked to her at all about Max since before break started. I searched for the right words, wanting to tell her what was actually going on between Max and I, but I couldn't. Not yet, anyway.

"No, she's still a stupid piece of hipster trash," I replied dryly, looking away from Taylor. The words physically hurt to say. I hated every second of this stupid charade, but I couldn't tell anyone yet.

"What? You totally had the hots for her!" Taylor protested, looking sort of indignant. She was one of the only people that I knew would accept it right away if I told her that Max and I were together. It sucked enough to have to hide our relationship from everyone else, but I had to tell at least one person and that person might as well be Taylor, right? She could keep a secret. I took a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair.

"Ok, look," I said firmly, leaning forward so that my elbows were balanced on my knees and I was staring Taylor right in the face. "What I'm about you is top secret. You can't tell anyone, not a single soul. Not even Courtney." Taylor frowned a little, looking concerned.

"Yeah, ok," she said softly, leaning forward a little. "What is it?" I paused, trying to gather my thoughts. Was I really about to do this? "Oh my god," she whispered, a grin beginning to grow on her face. "You had sex!" She shouted, jumping up off of my bed. I stood, shushing her.

"Jesus, Taylor!" I growled. "I don't think the Californians heard you, maybe you should scream that a little louder." She chuckled and put her hands on her hips.

"Wow, someone's bashful for having just slept with Max Caulfield." Taylor had the most smug look on her face. I blushed, my cheeks burning and my stomach tying itself in knots.

"We didn't just… sleep together," I said hesitantly. "We've kinda been dating since that weekend at the lake. We went to Portland for Christmas and… That's when we slept together." Taylor was standing in front of me with her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. Wow, speechless for once, that was a surprise. "Well?" I asked, feeling embarrassed and kind of frustrated. "Say something!"

"You just… You were kind of good at hiding it," she replied, composing herself. "I mean, you weren't as ruthless, but I figured that was just 'cause she had kinda grown on you during the lake trip. I had no idea you guys were dating." I nodded, sighing a little.

"Yeah, we've been keeping it a secret," I said softly, sitting back down at my desk. I looked up to see Taylor smiling at me like she knew something that I didn't. "What?" I asked, managing to keep any venom out of my voice.

"You're in deep, aren't you?" She asked, her eyes shining a little. I chuckled and buried my face in my hands.

"Yeah," I replied, my heart feeling warm and soft. "But she's worth it."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

Max's POV

Wednesday, January 21th, 2014, 7:45am

School had started back up again and Tori and I were still a secret. The only thing that changed was that we were a little less careful than we had been. Taylor had walked in on us… Well, you can guess what we were doing, about three times in the past few weeks and had finally learned that knocking was a good idea. Vic had even tried to convince me to do stuff in the showers once, but Kate had walked in and took half an eternity to brush her teeth. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have felt bad, but it was Kate. I felt bad enough doing stuff in the room next to hers, let alone doing stuff when she was right on the other side of a very flimsy curtain.

I had woken up to my alarm, groaning as I barely convinced myself to get out of bed. Tori and I had decided to sleep in our rooms that night because we needed to get some studying done for a test that we had that day. My head was foggy with sleep as I stretched, getting out of bed to look for something to wear. My phone went off again, but it was a text this time. I picked it up and smiled when I saw that it was a text from Tori.

Tori: Good morning, gorgeous, can't wait to see you tonight. Maybe we can have a little after test celebration to make up for last night? ;) 3

There was an image attached to the text. I opened it, freezing where I stood. It was a picture of Tori in a lacy, red bra and matching panties. She was biting her bottom lip, looking into the camera while also staring into my very soul, daring me to reply. I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry.

"Holy shit," I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. This was extremely unfair. I didn't have anything super cute and sexy and expensive to wear. Then, I realized something. I did have something to wear that would get her going. I grinned to myself and walked over to my closet, grabbing the outfit Tori had bought me in Portland, remembering the look on her face when she had seen me in it. Two could play at this game. I got dressed, making sure that I looked ok in it. It still looked the same as it had when I had first tried it on, but I felt better wearing it. I smiled at myself in the mirror, deciding to put a little more work into doing my hair.

This way, she could look but she couldn't touch, just like a picture. Except I'd have the upper hand because I'd be able to see the look on her face. When I was satisfied with my work, I grabbed my messenger bag and grabbed the stuff I needed to brush my teeth. I made my way to the bathroom and brushed my teeth, making sure that my breath was minty fresh. After I had put my stuff into my room, I made my way to my first class. I couldn't wait for Tori to see me. No, I couldn't wait to see Tori's face. It would be priceless!

I felt sort of self conscious walking down the halls, past all these people that had only ever seen me wearing my usual jeans and a t shirt with my sweater, but what I was wearing now was really only a little upgrade from my usual outfits. But still, people were looking at me differently, like I was suddenly someone different or I had grown another head. I don't know how Tori could ever stand putting up with this sort of a thing on a regular basis. People always stared at her. Whether they were staring in awe or hatred really didn't make much of a difference to her. But I hated the feeling of people just staring at me. On the bright side, I knew it would be worth it to get her back for that picture.

She wasn't in my first class, but I always passed by her and Taylor and Courtney in the hall on the way to it. I looked ahead to see Tori leaning against a locker, her arms crossed over her chest as she talked to Taylor about something I couldn't hear. She was facing me, but it took her a moment to see me. She looked up, doing a bit of a double take.

I smiled, watching her mouth fall open a little and her eyes widen slightly. It wasn't much, but damn, it felt good. Taylor and Courtney turned around to see me, watching me closely as I made my way towards them. I decided that an extra little jab was in order. I stopped just in front of them, putting on a smile.

"Hey, guys," I greeted them, meeting Tori's eyes. "Hi, Victoria." Oh god, that blush was amazing! I understood now why she loved mind games so much, this was so satisfying. She quickly composed herself, tightening her jaw.

"What the hell do you want, Lamefield?" She asked, standing up straight. Oh boy, this was gonna be good. I shrugged innocently, trying to play it off. It was harder than I thought it would be. All I really wanted to do was kiss her and I knew that she wanted to do the same.

"Oh nothing, I was just wondering what you thought of my new outfit? I bought it over break." I watched her squirm internally, loving every second of this. It was so worth how cold my stomach was. She scoffed, rolling her eyes and lifting her chin a little to show a bit of dominance.

"Why would you care what I think about your outfit?" She asked, her voice not as sharp and angry as it would've been before. I grinned, loving the way Taylor was holding in a laugh and Courtney was looking on in awe. This was amazing, it was such a rush.

"Well, you always look so good," I said, taking a step toward her until I was close enough to whisper to her without anyone else hearing. "Especially in that pic you sent me earlier. I can't wait to get you out of it and fuck you senseless for being so naughty." I hadn't expected for it to go this far, but here I was, slowly pulling away from a totally red faced Victoria Chase and walking to my English class, smug grin on my face. Today was going to be an amazing day.

It felt like an eternity until I was in a class with Tori. We only had Chemistry and Photography together and those were my last two classes. Chemistry had been an hour of Tori trying to sneak glances at me, failing miserably because she sat in the front of the class and I sat near the back. I wrote in my journal a lot during that class, just writing about whatever was on my mind which was mostly Tori and how amazing it was to get her so worked up. I'm pretty sure that she would've just slammed me up against the lockers and started kissing me if we weren't still a secret. But, I guess that's what made this so fun. The test we had spent last night studying for was in Photography class, so I was kind of nervous about that, but not nervous enough to distract me.

When we got to Photography, I sat down in my usual seat and tried to hide the smugness I felt. Tori walked into the room, giving me a quick glance before going to her seat. There was something in her eyes that made my chest ache with want. She looked like she was desperate for me, like she would lose it if she didn't get some release soon. I felt a little guilty teasing her so much, but it wasn't going to stop me, not yet. I leaned over my desk a little and tapped on the table twice to get Tori's attention. She turned to face me, a stern look on her face, but her eyes were soft. My heart melted a little and I couldn't help smiling at her. She was beautiful and kind to me, how could I be doing this to her for a whole day? Well, the day was almost over so maybe it wasn't too big of a deal.

"Hey, sorry to bug you, but can I borrow a pencil?" I asked, smiling as innocently as I could. She nodded and reached into her pencil case, handing me a pencil with a piece of paper wrapped around it.

"Just don't chew on the eraser," she said firmly. I knew she was serious about that because I knew it grossed her out. "You might get your nasty hipster germs all over it." I took the pencil and smiled.

"Thanks, I'll give it back after class," I replied, watching as her gaze traveled up and down my body and then to the pencil. I looked to the pencil and gently pulled the paper off of it. It was a note. Very sneaky. I unrolled it, admiring how perfect her handwriting was.

It read: "Meet me in my room right after class. I'll be waiting 3" I swallowed hard, stuffing the note into my pocket. No one was paying attention to me except for Tori who had stolen a glance at me and winked at me as I looked up at her. I could feel myself blushing. God, this class was going to take forever.

I was right, it did take forever and I had never felt so impatient in my entire life. My leg bounced beneath my desk, trying to release some of my energy. I watched the clock, wishing that me just staring at it would make the seconds tick by faster. When the bell finally rang, I practically jumped out of my seat. I packed up my stuff as fast as I could, but Tori was already out the door. I slung my messenger bag over my shoulder and was about to leave when Kate's voice stopped me, pulling me back to my current setting.

"Hey, Max, can I talk to you for a second?" She asked, smiling at me nervously. Oh Christ, help me now.

"Sure, Kate, but do you mind if we walk and talk?" I asked, smiling at her as genuinely as I could. I love Kate to death but I felt like my whole body was about to explode.

"Sure thing, Max," she replied, walking next to me as we made our way out of the classroom and into the hall.

"So what's on your mind?" I asked, trying to focus on Kate and not think about Tori in her lacy bra, waiting for me in her room.

"I was just wondering if you were feeling ok, you seem really out of it recently," she replied, her voice full of concern. I let out a small laugh. I guess I could see how she would reach that conclusion.

"Yeah, I'm totally fine, I've just been sort of distracted, but we can definitely talk more about it on our tea date," I replied, trying to keep the slight impatience out of my voice. Kate was just worried about me. She smiled and nodded, looking relieved, which made me feel better.

"Ok, well, I'll see you later, Max," she said, heading to her extra class. I waved as she left and then practically ran to Tori's room.

When I got to the dorms, I walked to the end of the hall and looked around, making sure that no one was around. I knocked on Tori's door and it opened almost immediately. I didn't have time to say anything because Tori pulled me into her room, slamming the door behind me and then pinned me against it, kissing me hard. Her lips were hot and I felt myself already starting to melt beneath her touch. I was frozen in shock for a second and she pulled away, glaring at me with a longing in her eyes that made my heart race.

"You are so dead, Caulfield," she said breathlessly, her voice low and gruff. It sent shivers down my spine and filled my body with warmth at the same time.

"Hey, you started it with that sexy pic this morning," I replied, still pinned against the door. She got really close to me, but she didn't kiss me like I wanted her to.

"And now you're gonna pay," she whispered, kissing me again, but not as hard this time. It was nice, actually. A small release from the tension of the day. I sighed into the kiss, wrapping my arms around her neck. She pulled me close, her fingers finding their way into my shirt. My skin shivered under her touch and I felt the warmth building in my gut already. She pulled up at my shirt and I lifted my arms, letting her take it off of me. I started tugging at her skirt, wishing that it would just vanish. She got it off and then I started undoing the buttons of her blouse. She undid the button of my jeans, pulling them down so that I could shimmy out of them. I had to kick off my shoes when my jeans got to my ankles which was not easy to do, but I managed it. I finally got all the buttons of her blouse undone and threw it aside, pressing myself against her. She pushed back, pressing my back against the door. She moved down, kissing my neck, her lips igniting a spark in my gut.

"So, I guess you liked my outfit?" I asked breathlessly, my hands tangled in her hair as she bit down on my neck. I moaned, accidentally banging the back of my head against the door. I ignored the slight throbbing as she kissed up my neck and bit down on my earlobe.

"You're so going to pay for making me go through that torture," she whispered, voice husky. "Making me watch you walk around like that, showing off your skin, those jeans making your ass look amazing." She moved her hands down my body and grabbed at my butt, making me yelp in surprise. She was still holding me against the door, kissing down my neck until she got to my chest. She moved her hands up and got my bra off with ease, letting it drop to the floor as she kissed between my breasts, nipping at the soft flesh. I moaned softly, suddenly realizing that other people in the dorm might hear me.

"I hate you so much right now," I said softly, trying to focus. I didn't hate her, I loved her so much that it made me ache for her. She moved back up to my lips, kissing me and licking the seme of my lips for entrance. I opened my mouth out of instinct, letting my tongue explore her mouth. She pulled away and went down to take off my panties, leaving them at my ankles. I had barely enough time to step out of them before she was kissing me again, moving her perfectly manicured fingers down my stomach. She pulled away for a moment, her fingers tracing tiny circles just under my belly button. I whined softly, staring hazily into dangerous green eyes.

"Stay quiet, Maxine," she said softly, the sound of my name on her tongue sending a wave of pure heat through me. I swallowed hard and nodded, my hips bucking a little in anticipation. "Good girl." Her words were soft as she gently placed her hand over my mouth and entered me with two fingers. I caught the moan before it got to the top of my throat, pushing it down until it was panted breath. I clenched my eyes shut, my hands balling into fists against the door. She started thrusting in and out of me, her pace agonizingly slow, but so hard that it made my back pound against the door a little each time. I let out a small whine, opening my eyes for a moment to see Tori leaning her forehead against mine, a soft look in her eyes, kind of like the one she gave me in class earlier.

"You're not allowed to cum until I say so," she whispered, moving her hand from my mouth to kiss me tenderly. I smiled a little into the kiss, loving the mixture of lust and love that I felt in that moment. It was perfect. She was perfect. I had never imagined that I would ever feel that way. I didn't know that it was possible.

Tori quickened her pace, thrusting her fingers into me faster and faster, still kissing me. When she pulled away, we were both breathing heavily and I could feel myself reaching the edge. I let my nails dig into her back, getting a little moan out of her in turn. I was so close that it almost hurt. I needed to let go, I wanted to unravel, but I couldn't, not until Tori said I could. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from moaning, it all felt so good. My entire body was on fire, my mind had stopped functioning and I was seeing stars fly across my eyelids.

"Tori," I whimpered, leaning my head forward to press my face into her shoulder. "Oh god, please, please let me cum." It took everything I had not to make it a scream. She chuckled a little and I felt her breath against my bare skin.

"Ok, but only because you begged so nicely," she whispered, hitting just the right spot in that moment. I buried my face into her shoulder, holding back a cry of release as I pulsed around her fingers, my whole body tensing and loosening in waves. I went limp between Tori's body and the door, trying to catch my breath.

"Wowsers," I said breathlessly, looking up at see Tori smirking at me, smugness written on her face.

"That's payback for today, you little tease," she said, leaning down to kiss me softly.

"You know you loved it," I replied, giggling a little.

"Eat me," she said jokingly, pulling away to bend over and grab her clothes. I smirked, biting my lip as I watched her bend over.

"Get on the bed," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. I had done this for her before, but I still got nervous. She stood up straight, giving me a look of amusement and a small scoff.

"What? Why?" She asked. I took a step toward her and kissed her hard, pulling her underwear down and quickly moving up to get her bra off before she could react. I moved her backwards until she fell onto her bed. She fell backwards and I smirked down at her. "Max, what the hell?" She looked kind of pissed, but I didn't want to back down now.

"What? You told me to eat you, so that's what I'm doing," I replied, trying to sound as innocent as possible. She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Oh my god, you're such a dork," she replied, but she was blushing. I smirked and got down on my knees next to her bed, pulling her toward me until I was face to face with her sex. I swallowed hard and used my tongue to tease her clit, getting a slow moan that sounded a lot like relief. I smiled, digging in a little. I held her hips down against the bed as I sucked her clit, using two fingers to thrust slowly. I was going to make this as agonizing as she had made it for me.

"Oh my god, Max," she gasped out, grabbing a fist full of my hair. I was starting to get more confident when a phone started ringing. I tried to ignore it, but I felt Tori shift and she moved to grab her phone, looking at the screen with forced concentration. "Max, I have to get this," she said breathlessly, letting go of my hair. I pulled away, pouting at her from where I was, still kneeling on the floor. "It's a lawyer, ok?" Her words took me off guard, but I didn't have time to reply because she answered the call.

"Hello?" she said, sitting up and pausing to listen to what the person on the other side of the call had to say. Why was she talking to a lawyer? "Yes… Are you sure?... But I haven't seen him since October." Was she talking about Nathan? My blood started boiling a little in my veins, but I kept quiet. Nathan wasn't all bad. He did bad things and was messed up in the head, but he looked out for the people he cared about, which included himself. Tori looked down at me and must've seen a bit of my anger on my face because she frowned and leaned down to kiss my forehead, wiping a bit of dampness off of my chin. "Yeah, I can come in next week… Can I bring someone else?" I furrowed my brow at her, unsure of what she was talking about exactly. She gave me a guilty look before avoiding my gaze completely. "Ok, I'll be there. Thank you, goodnight." She hung up the call and set her phone beside her on the bed.

"What was that about?" I asked after a bit of a pause. She cleared her throat and ran her fingers through her hair, still not looking at me.

"That was Nathan's lawyer," she replied, her voice soft, like she didn't want to tell me about this. I could understand why. "He wants me to come and visit next week. Like, at the prison."

"Oh," I said softly, seeing a pained look in her eyes. I sighed and stood, moving to sit next to her on the bed. "D… Do you want me to go with you?" I asked hesitantly, pretty sure that I didn't want to see Nathan at all. But I knew that Tori would need someone there with her. She was there for me at Chloe's funeral even though she didn't have to be and she had continued to be there for me through my nightmares and all of the crazy shit that I put her through. Now it was my turn to be there for her.

"You don't have to," she said softly, still not looking at me. I took her hand, kissing her palm.

"I want to," I replied, trying to sound more sincere than I felt. She let out a laugh and shook her head.

"You're an awful liar, Maxine," she said, taking a deep breath. "You don't have to come with me. I can take Taylor or something." I shook my head and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.

"No, really," I said with a small smile. "If you need me, I'll go. I want to be there for you incase you need me." Tori looked up at me, her gaze soft and sad, but also relieved. She wrapped her arms around me, the feeling of our skin connecting sending a warm jolt through. I smiled and hugged her tight, kissing her cheek. I guess I would be seeing Nathan again.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

Victoria's POV

Saturday, February 1st, 2014, 12:30pm

The prison came into view as I drove down the road toward the entrance. Max was sitting in the passenger seat, her leg bouncing up and down so fast that I could feel it through the floor of the car. I gave her a quick glance, seeing that she was all tense muscles and a clenched jaw. I was so glad that she was here with me because I knew that this was going to be hard, but I knew that it was going to be ten times harder for her and that made me angry at myself for making her come with me. Well, I hadn't made her, but I might as well have. I hadn't protested much because I had known that she wouldn't back down. She was going to come with me whether I wanted her to or not because she cared about me and wanted to make this easier for me if she could. But I didn't want her to have to go through all of those memories and feelings she'd had to go through the day Chloe died.

It was one thing for me, my best friend was in prison. He was in a cage, rotting away as his mind ate away at him until he was hardly a person anymore, but it was different for Max. She had watched another human being kill her best friend right in front of her. She had heard the gunshot and the arguing and the screaming and had seen the blood and someone she loved more than anything laid out on the floor, the light fading from her eyes. Max had been in love with Chloe, I knew that. They were more than just friends, even if they had never gone through with anything besides the two kisses they'd had in those alternate timelines. Now, here she was, in love with me, going to see the person who had murdered someone she loved.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" I said softly, keeping my eyes ahead but moving to take her hand. "We can turn back. Or you can stay in the car or I could drop you off somewhere. Anything you want, really. You don't have to come in with me to see him." She squeezed my hand, making me glance over at her. She had this strange look on her face. It was like a mixture of fear and calm. Her gaze was soft, but her jaw was tight and her face was pale.

"It'll be ok," she replied, kissing me hand. "I'll be fine. He's probably going to be really happy to see you. Plus, maybe we'll both get some closure." I nodded slowly, finally reaching the gate to the prison. A guard checked our IDs and let us through. I parked the car and we went to the front office to check in. The atmosphere was so strange here, heavy with a strange drowsiness that reminded me of days spent locked up in my room with the curtains drawn. Except this place was all lit up with fluorescent light, hurting my eyes as it reflected off of the gray tile floor. After we got checked in, a guard lead us back to a room that looked like those rooms that they took criminals to so they could integrate them. It had the mirror/window thing and the awful metal table with weird metal chairs and everything. The guard opened the door to let us in, telling us that Nathan would be brought in soon.

Max and I sat down in the metal chairs on the side of the table closest to the door. Every muscle in my body felt like it was made of stone. I was so nervous that I could barely move and I could feel my heart race with the idea of seeing Nathan again. But he wouldn't be the same, I knew that. I was just happy to be seeing him. But I was also scared. I didn't know how he would act. Max was completely still beside me, staring off into space. I can remember when she was part of Nathan's trial. His lawyer had tried to convince her not to testify. She ended up not testifying, but I had never asked why. Maybe she just didn't want to get involved or maybe her parents had told her not to because of her mental health at the time. Maybe they ruled her out as mentally unstable so they weren't able to use her against Nathan during the trial.

I reached over and put my hand on her shoulder, offering her a smile when she looked up at me. She smiled back, but it was weak and her eyes looked like she was far away. I heard the door open behind me and I stood, looking to see Nathan there, smiling as soon as he saw me.

"Tori," he said softly, relief filling his voice as he wrapped his arms around me. I heard Max moving quickly, standing up to watch what was happening. Was she scared that he would hurt me? I hugged him back, unable to deny the feeling of happiness I felt when I saw him. He was my best friend, one of the only people that I had ever really opened up to. Next to Max, he was the only person I trusted fully.

"Hi, Nate," I replied, smiling at him when I pulled away. "How are you? You look good." He looked like he had gained more weight since last I saw him. He hadn't really been eating much when he was at Blackwell. The meds got rid of his appetite and he didn't like eating when he was off them, so he had lost a lot of weight. I can still remember having to beg him to eat something before he would even consider it.

"I'm so much better now that you're here," he replied, smiling at me. He lifted his eyes from mine, looking behind me to see Max. I turned too, seeing that she was standing straight up, her eyes locked on him and her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. "What is she doing here?" He asked, anger filling his voice. I took a step back from him, standing between them as I took Max's hand in mine.

"Max and I are dating," I replied, trying to make myself confident as I pulled her close to me. "We have been for a few months now." He had a confused and somewhat disgusted look on his face.

"Seriously?" He asked, looking from me to her and back. "What does the rest of the school think?" I lifted my chin a little, hoping that I looked taller and more confident than I felt.

"They don't know yet," I replied. I felt Max's grip on my hand tighten a little when Nathan started laughing.

"Wow," he breathed after getting control over his laughter and sitting down in the chair on the other side of the table. "So, Caulfield, how does it feel to be dating someone who's so far out of your sad little league?" I tensed up, but Max didn't even move. She just looked at her shoes, her hands still balled into fists. "What? Are you scared of me?"

"Nate -" I tried to stop him, but he interrupted me, leaning over the table a little, a grin on his face.

"Come on, Caulfield," he said, his voice low and threatening. "Speak up. Or are you scared that I'll shoot you just like I did that blue haired bitch?" Max slammed her hands against the table, making Nathan and I jump.

"Shut the fuck up, Prescott!" She shouted, anger burning in her eyes. "I'm not here to see you. I'm here because I love Victoria and she cares about you. You are probably the last person on this planet that I would want to see, but I'm here because my girlfriend needs someone to lean on when one of the only people she ever cared about has to be locked up again. So would you just shut up and spend some time with Victoria instead of being such a giant asshole?" Nate and I were both staring at her with our mouths hanging open. She looked away from him and sat down in the chair she'd been in before, leaning forward and burying her face in her hands. Nate and I looked at each other and I sat down, leaning over to wrap my arm around Max's shoulders. She leaned into me, her expression was back to the hard calm it had been before and she took my hand, intertwining our fingers.

"Oh god, at least try not to be so like couply," he said, making a face of disgust as he leaned back in his seat. I looked up at him, unsure of what to do or say. It had been so long since I'd seen him and so much had changed. It felt like I barely knew him now, after everything he did. But he was still Nathan Prescott. He was still the boy I'd grown up with, the one who played pretend with me, the one who cried when his father beat him, the one who had sleepovers with me and made pillow forts with me until the sun rose. My best friend. He was practically my brother. "Oh, don't give me that look. I'm not some sort of fragile soul that you have to watch over, Victoria." I looked away from him, wishing that I could find something to say.

"I'm sorry, I just really missed you and now things are weird," I said softly. Max squeezed my hand a little, trying to be reassuring. I gave her quick glance before my gaze was turned to Nate when he started laughing.

"It would've been weird no matter," he replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm a murderer now. A danger to myself and the people around me. I'm surprised that you're not scared of me." His voice fell a little, his confident demeanor waning. I wanted to tell him that he wasn't a murderer, that it had been an accident or something, anything to get that hurt look off of his face. Max sat with a stone cold look on her face, but I saw something pass over her eyes that made me wonder if she actually felt sorry for him.

"You're still the same person," I replied, trying to sound somewhat sure of myself. He just scoffed, leaning forward to lock my gaze with his.

"I wish that were true," he said softly, his hands folded before him. "But I'm not. I'm barely even a Prescott anymore. Now I'm just a disgrace to my family, totally disowned. Don't get me wrong, I feel awful for what I did, but she was asking for it. She was in my face, trying to control me, bend me to her will, that stupid bitch." He slammed a fist against the table. I felt Max tense beside me, her grip on my hand tightening. Nate leaned back in his chair again, turning his gaze to Max. "Why didn't you testify?" Max snapped her gaze up to meet his, her jaw clenched so tightly that it hurt my teeth just looking at her.

"Because I didn't have to," she replied, keeping her gaze locked with his. Was she challenging him?

"I thought that punk was your friend or something," he said, adopting a sneer that made my skin crawl. "Some friend you are, not doing everything you could to get her killer put in prison."

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" I cut in, my voice firm, anger beginning to fill my chest. "You weren't exactly subtle. It was in the middle of the school in broad daylight. Why do you keep talking about it so much, anyway? Why can't you just leave Max alone?"

"Because she could've stopped me," he blurted out, standing up again, knocking his metal chair to the ground with a sound that put my teeth on edge. "She could've done something to stop all of this from happening and she didn't! If anyone's a murderer, it's her!" He pointed to Max, grinning at her. He was right, this was not the same Nathan I had known. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be here."

"You got yourself into this mess, Nathan," I shouted, getting up from my seat. "You got that gun and pulled the trigger, not Max. Now you're suffering the consequences of that and you can't handle it because you don't want to take responsibility for what you've done. You killed that girl, Nathan! You took her life away from her and have barely shown any remorse! What the hell is wrong with you?" I took Max's hand in mine and started toward the door. "Come on, Max. We're leaving."

And we did leave. I practically stormed out of that prison, fuming from what happened. We got in the car and I slammed my fists against the steering wheel, letting out a growl. I heard Max let out a shaky breath next to me and looked over to see tears streaming down her cheeks. I had barely looked at her as we'd made our way out of the prison.

"Max," I said softly, pulling her into a hug. She leaned limply against me, letting out a sob as she caved into her tears.

"He's right," she sobbed, wrapping her arms around me and grabbing onto my shirt like it was a life line. "I could've done more. I could've tried again."

"Max, you did nothing wrong," I said softly, fighting my own tears. I felt like such a bitch for bringing her here. I knew that it was a bad idea and yet, here I was, trying to sooth my girlfriend after I'd just put her through hell all over again.

"I let Chloe die," she cried, her tears soaking through my shirt. I kissed the top of her head, trying to think of the right thing to say. The whole thing was such a mess.

"Max, she told you that it was ok, remember?" I said softly, remembering what she had told me about everything that had happened. "She had told you that it was the right choice. Don't let her sacrifice be for nothing just because Nathan is a selfish asshole."

We didn't talk much after that. I just held her until she stopped crying before we went back to the school. I spent the night in her room with her. She slept soundly through most of the night until about three in the morning. I was lying awake with her in my arms, unable to sleep because my mind was buzzing with so many thoughts that I just couldn't get them to all stop for more than a minute. I felt Max shifting and she was murmuring something that I couldn't make out, but her eyebrows were pressed together and she sounded like she was saying the same thing over and over again.

"Max?" I whispered, shaking her a little. "Max, wake up, babe." She opened her eyes, gasping and sweating. She looked up at me and immediately pulled me into a hug. I hugged her back, feeling her shake in my arms.

"Oh my god, Tori, I'm so glad that you're still here," she whimpered, her voice shaking. I held her close to me, rubbing circles against her back.

"I'll always be here," I whispered, kissing her cheek. "You don't have to be afraid. I'm right here to help you. I'll always be right here."

"I had the same dream," she said softly, looking up at me. "The dream that I had in the hospital. It was so real. And he… he shot you… You were…" She held onto me like I was going to disappear, like maybe this was a dream and what she'd just woken up from was reality.

"It's ok, Max," I said softly, managing to stop my voice from shaking. I remembered how she had told me that Jefferson had killed me in another timeline. How Max had tried to save me but couldn't. Was that what she had dreamt about before? "Jefferson is gone. No one is going to hurt you or me. We're safe, ok?" She looked up at me, her blue eyes looked so tired, so heavy that it made my heart ache. I wanted to take her pain away. I would take it all if I could. There was something almost ancient in her eyes, like she's dealt with this hurt and these memories for so long that it was aging her very soul. She nodded and I pulled her in for a soft kiss, trying to show her that I was still here and that I wasn't going anywhere.

We both fell asleep after that. I had dreams about Nathan and I when we were kids and a nightmare about watching him hurt Max. All I could do was hope that time would heal the wounds we'd received. I hoped that time would just leave Max alone and let her get better.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Max's POV

Friday, February 13th, 2014, 12:34pm

It was starting to get hot again, which meant that I had to lug my hoodie around anyway because it was hot outside and freezing in the classrooms. Today, though, I'd just left my hoodie in my room, deciding that I would suffer the consequences, whatever they might be, than have it tied around my waist or slung over my shoulder. I was sitting outside, leaned against a tree and reading a cheesy romance novel that Dana had let me borrow. I had needed something new to read and she said that this book wasn't much good besides the fact that it was hilarious because of how bad it was. Kate had to help the sub in Jefferson's class setup for the project we were going to work on in class. She had said it was a surprise so I was trying to distract myself from the building nervousness I felt. I could hear Tori's voice from somewhere behind me, probably talking with Taylor and Courtney about the Vortex club Valentine's day party that was going on tomorrow night.

Tori and I hadn't really talked about what we were gonna do for Valentine's day and I hadn't really thought about it. I mean, I wanted to do something for her, but I wasn't sure what and it was literally the last minute. I mean, it was our first Valentine's day so I probably should've planned something, but I was in an idiot and had only started thinking about it now in the middle of the day the day before the actual holiday. I sighed, closing the book I was reading. I could feel myself panicking a little, trying hard to keep my mind under control. I didn't want to make it a big deal, but I wasn't sure if it was already a big deal. I groaned and buried my face in my hands, trying to rack my brain for something that might work. It needed to be good because Tori deserved a perfect Valentine's day, but what could I do that didn't cost a million dollars?

"Hey," a familiar voice made me jump as it pulled my from my thoughts. I looked up to see Tori sitting down next to me. I looked around, my eyes wide. "What's the matter?" She asked, catching my gaze.

"Tori, what are you doing?" I whispered, making sure no one was looking. Taylor was smirking at us and Courtney was glaring at me. I swallowed hard, looking into Tori's eyes again. When I met her gaze, I immediately felt myself relax. She had her guard down, she wasn't going with the act that we'd planned on. "Someone might see."

"I don't care," she said softly, taking my hand in hers and bringing it to her lips. I froze a little, suddenly very aware of how close she was to me and how many people were around. I didn't care if people knew, but this was so far away from normal that I was pretty sure I was dreaming. "Now tell me what's wrong." I hesitated, swallowing hard. I was still kind of shell shocked considering that Tori had pretty much just dropped the act like it was nothing. I could feel people staring at us now and it was making my skin crawl. She was still holding my hand and I gripped onto it like it was a life line.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked her, searching her eyes. She looked calm, her gaze soft as she smiled at me.

"Don't worry about them, just focus on me," she said softly, kissing my cheek. I heard Courtney gasp from somewhere behind me and Taylor giggled.

"But what about -"

"Shut up, Caulfield," she whispered, leaning in to kiss me, pressing me against the tree a little. I was shocked at first, but responded after a moment, kissing her back. I heard Courtney talking to Taylor, but it all sounded far away and like it was under water because suddenly it was just me and Tori, sitting beneath that tree with her lips against mine and her hand holding onto mine. When she pulled away, I was kind of sad, wishing that she hadn't stopped kissing me. "Now what's got you looking like a kicked puppy?" She asked, pulling me from my thoughts a little.

"What? Oh, right," I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "I was just uh… thinking about Valentine's day. We haven't really talked about it and I wasn't sure if you wanted to do anything." She gave me a smirk, her eyes shimmering.

"Oh, don't worry, I have something awesome planned," she replied, starting to stand up because the bell for the last classes of the day had rung. I stood with her, still holding her hand. "Oh, also, did you wanna come to the dance tomorrow night? I know partying isn't really your thing, but I would love to have a chance to dance with you." She said that last sentence as she pressed herself closer to me, making me swallow hard and my face get hot. Was I allowed to get turned on by her in public?

"I'm not really the best dancer," I managed to croak out, shaking just a little. This was all a lot of stuff to process in front of so many people. People who were still giving us looks and I could feel their eyes on me. "Plus, the last Vortex party I went to didn't end well." I said the last part as a joke to help loosen myself up and it made Tori chuckle a little because of how flustered I was.

"Don't worry, I can teach you," she said with a smile. "I have to go to class now, but I'll see you in Photography, ok?" She leaned down and kissed me, shamelessly pulling me against her by my hips. I gasped and kissed her back out of instinct, still in shock. When she pulled away, she waved at me and turned to walk into the building. I stood there for a moment, completely dazed. What the hell just happened?

My next two classes passed in a weird haze. Was I dreaming? Had Tori lost her mind? What the hell was going on? Oh, and I was fucking freezing because I had left my hoodie in my room. I made my way to Photography class, shivering from a combination of nervousness and cold. Why did they have to have the AC on so high anyway? Didn't they see the way people were shivering and everything? I didn't normally get cold very easily so if I was cold then it was definitely cold.

I walked into my next class, seeing that Tori wasn't in her seat yet. I looked around, a couple people were glancing at me every now and again like they had been all day. Kate was sitting in her seat and she waved at me, a smile on her face. I smiled and walked over to her. She hadn't been there at lunch, so she hadn't seen anything. Maybe she didn't know yet.

"Hey, Kate," I said as I made my way toward her.

"Hey, Max, how are you?" She asked, folding her hands in her lap.

"I'm good, just kinda cold," I replied with a laugh and rubbed my arm to create a little bit of warmth. I heard footsteps coming toward me from behind and I felt hands reach around my front and pull me close. I gasped softly, recognizing the form against my back.

"Hey, guys," Tori said, a smile on her face. I smiled, my cheeks turning red. Kate gave me a wide eyed glance and I looked away, leaning further into Tori's sturdy frame. I wanted to disappear, fade away into nothingness to stop everyone from staring at me. "How are you, Kate?" Tori asked, leaning her chin on my shoulder so that her cheek brushed against mine.

"Um, I'm ok," Kate replied, looking hesitant. "How are you, Victoria?" I loved feeling the warmth of Tori's body against mine, it was such a relief in so many ways. A safe spot to hide from all the stares, a warm spot to hide from the cold, Tori made me feel safe.

"I'm great, thank you for asking," Tori replied, kissing my cheek. "Are you ok, Max? You're shivering."

"What? Oh, I'm just kinda cold," I replied, feeling dazed. What the hell was going on? Why was she acting so openly affectionate? She pulled away from me, pulling off her cashmere and wrapping it around my shoulders. It was warm from being wrapped around her all day and it smelled amazing. I looked up at her and she smiled down at me, her eyes still gentle and calm.

"Better?" She asked, taking my hand in hers. I nodded, unable to reply. "Good. Do you mind if I sit with you today?" She asked, totally ignoring everyone else around us.

"If you want to," I replied, wrapping the cashmere tighter around me. It was so warm and soft. Tori smiled and we walked over to where I usually sat. She grabbed a chair and moved it over to sit right next to me. She took my hand under the table and we waited as the sub explained what we would be doing today. Something about a partner project. I don't know, I wasn't really listening because Tori had moved her hand to my thigh and had started making her way up, her fingers playing with the zipper of my jeans. I just sat, totally frozen and my face probably totally red. I couldn't move, I could barely breath. Tori gave me a look that was almost asking for permission. I swallowed hard, unsure of what to do. She started to moved her hand away but I grabbed her wrist and she grinned, leaning her head on my shoulder as she moved her hand back, rubbing her fingers against the crotch of my jeans.

People weren't looking at us anymore, thank dog, because they were paying attention to whatever the sub was saying. I tried to focus on it to keep myself from looking totally suspicious and completely turned on. I gripped the sides of my chair and stared at the sub.

"So you'll be pairing up and taking notes on pages…" her voice faded from my mind as Tori started to rub harder against my jeans, making me squirm a little. I wasn't sure if I could take this. I knew that I wasn't the quiet when we were alone, so why was I the one getting played with in the middle of class? If anyone should be getting messed with it was Tori. She could probably manage to keep a straight face if I lifted her onto the table and started eating her out. But yet, here I was, unsure of whether or not to clench my legs together to stop her. The sub had stopped talking and people were talking and pairing up and taking out their textbooks.

The classroom got louder as people started taking their notes, the voices filling the air and making me a little less uneasy because I knew they they were focused on something that wasn't me and my burning face.

"You want me to keep going?" Tori's voice broke through my thoughts as I felt her breath against my ear.

"I… I don't know," I said sheepishly, looking around the classroom to make sure no one was looking at us. "Can we at least wait until after class? This is so public, what if someone sees?" She gave my crotch one final press, forcing me to bite my cheek to keep myself from moaning and then she pulled away.

"Alright, but you're all mine tonight," she whispered into my ear, kissing my neck before grabbing her textbook. The sub walked over as I just stared at Tori in disbelief. What the fuck was going on? I was about to ask her when the sub walked over.

"Are you two girls working together?" She asked. Tori smiled at her and leaned forward on the desk.

"Yes, what pages were we supposed to read again?" She asked, smiling the way she always did. It was this scary yet charming smile that made you wish you were that smooth.

"They're on the board," the sub replied, walking away. I let out a breathe I didn't know I was holding and turned to see Tori smirking at me, her cheek rested on her hand and her elbow on the desk.

"What?" I asked, shrinking away a little. Something super weird was happening and I was not a fan.

"Nothing, you're just so pretty," she said softly, giving me a kiss on the cheek. I blushed, trying to hide it.

"What the hell is up with you today?" I asked, whispering so that people couldn't hear what we were talking about. "You've blown our cover and now everyone knows." Tori laughed, moving a bit of blond hair out of her face.

"I decided that I didn't want this to be a secret anymore," she replied, taking my hand and kissing my fingers. "You deserve better than a secret relationship. So, here we are." She was smiling at me, her eyes bright with a happiness I only ever saw in her when we were totally alone.

"You couldn't have at least warned me?" I joked, looking away from her.

"But then it wouldn't have been as much fun," she replied, smirking at me. I rolled my eyes, unable to stop myself from smiling. She tilted my chin up so that I met her gaze. "You don't have to worry anymore. You're my girlfriend and everyone knows. We don't have to hide anymore." I smiled at her and she kissed me softly.

"Stop with the saliva swap and do your notes," the sub shouted from the other side of the room, getting everyone to look up from what they were doing and look over at us. I'm pretty sure my entire head burst into flames. This was all going to get interesting.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

Victoria's POV

Saturday, February 14th, 2014, 7:21pm

Everything was going exactly as I had planned. Now that everyone knew about Max and I, my big Valentine's day gesture would go off without tons of suspicion. I mean, I had also done it because Max deserved to be in a relationship where the person she loved wasn't scared of what would happen if they went public, that was a huge part of it. But it was also because I knew that a romantic like Max would probably like a big gesture, but would be too nice to talk about it. Plus, I wanted to spoil her and I had the money to do it. Which was why I had planned a stargazing trip for the two of us and might have arranged for fireworks. But that wouldn't happen until after the dance which was why I had planned not to get drunk or smoke anything. I knew Max wouldn't get high, but she might drink so I also had to be sober to take care of her since she was definitely a light weight. Not that I was one to talk, but at least I had a little bit of a tolerance. Max had only ever had that one drink back at the lake, so I knew she could handle it. It was kind of cute, actually. Even if I did feel like the devil for ruining her poor innocent brain.

I knocked on her door, holding a bouquet of flowers behind my back. It was simple, nothing crazy, but I made sure that each flower meant something because I figured Max would be into that too. There was a pink carnation for gratitude, a few white daisies for innocence, a few forget-me-nots, a larkspur for beautiful spirit, a gardenia for joy, and a lilac for first love. It was a whole mishmash of flowers, but it was colorful and I had put a lot of thought into it so I was hoping that Max would forgive the strange arrangement. It took a moment for Max to answer the door, but when she did I was impressed.

She was wearing a really nice, light blue shirt that hugged her curves but was sort of dressy while managing to be somewhat casual and a nice pair of dark jeans with a new pair of converse. I looked her up and down, smiling when I met her eyes. She was blushing a little, brushing a bit of chestnut hair out of her face as she looked from me to the floor. I couldn't help just staring at her a little, taking in the girl that had actually decided to be my girlfriend and had forgiven me for all of the shit I had put her through. And on top of that, she went to see Nathan with me even though she didn't have to. I felt my insides melting as I stared at her, soaking her in.

"Wow," I breathed, taking a step forward, holding the flowers behind my back. "You look beautiful, Maxine." She giggled a little and shrugged, grabbing onto her arm with her hand and rubbing it out of nervousness.

"You really think so?" She asked, looking surprisingly bashful. I smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I know so," I said softly, moving the flowers so that I was holding them just between us. "I got you these." Her eyes widened and she stared at them in surprise, her shock turning into a smile as she took them, sniffing at the flowers.

"Wow, Tori, thank you so much," she said, looking up at me with a big smile. "I'll just put them in some water really quick." I knew for a fact that Max didn't have a vase in her room, so I wasn't surprised when she looked around and found an empty cup, poured some water into it before placing the flowers in it and then on her desk. She turned back to me and walked over, wrapping her arms around my neck and giving me a kiss. I smiled when she pulled away, feeling myself blush.

"Happy Valentine's day, Max," I said, pulling her into a hug. She leaned her head on my shoulder and placed a kiss on my neck.

"Happy Valentine's day, Tori," she said with a little giggle. "Oh and I have your present, but I wanna give it to you later." I quirked a brow at her and she blushed, shoving me a little. "Not that kind of present, you perv." She laughed, making me laugh too.

"Hey, you love that I'm a perv," I said jokingly, smacking her ass as she turned to close her door. She jumped, yelping a little.

"Shut up, that's not the point," she laughed, taking my hand as we walked down the hall. We were going to meet Taylor and Courtney in Dana's room so that we could all walk to the party together. Max had invited Kate to come along, but she had said that she was actually going to catch up on homework. I knew that she probably wouldn't want to come to a Vortex Club party after what happened to her, but I felt bad that I still hadn't found a way to make it up to her about the video and everything. I had stopped harassing her and had apologized to her at one point, but I knew that wasn't enough. She said she had forgiven me, but I needed a way to help her feel safe. I just didn't know what that thing was or how to get it.

"So are you gonna tell me what your big plan is yet?" Max asked, her voice pulling me from my thoughts. I scoffed, trying to act offended.

"As if I would spoil such a surprise!" I shouted in mock outrage. Max laughed, watching me as I rolled my eyes and kissed her cheek. "Don't worry, you'll love it."

"But what is it?" She whined, tugging on my arm a little. "Come on, I really wanna know! The suspense is killing me." I wrapped my around her waist as we reached Dana's room.

"But if I told you what it was then it wouldn't be a surprise," I replied, knock on Dana's door.

"But that's ok because then I would know and I wouldn't be in a constant state of suspense," she begged, giving me a pouty look. I just laughed and kissed her.

"Patience, Maxine! You shall see soon enough," I told her.

"Door's open!" Dana called from behind the door. We walked in and saw Dana putting on her makeup as Courtney messed around on her phone. Taylor looked up from her nails and smiled at us.

"Hey, love birds!" she greeted us. I blushed a little, barely managing to hide it as I kissed Max on the cheek.

"Hey, guys," Max replied, her voice a little high pitched from her embarrassment.

"I still can't believe you guys are dating," Dana said excitedly, turning toward us after having just finished putting on her makeup. "And to have been hiding it from the entire school! How is that even possible?"

"I made Tori suppress her thirst in public," Max joked, making me blush and groan in slight frustration.

"You are so much thirstier than me and you know it," I jabbed back, making Max bite her lip and everyone else laugh even harder.

"Nah, Vic, you're definitely thirstier," Taylor added, giving me a sly smile that made my ears burn.

"You shut it," I replied, my voice not carrier as much sting as I meant it to. Everyone just laughed. When we were all done getting ready and everyone was done laughing at me, we left, walking to the pool where the party was. Max was holding my hand kind of tight, her fingers intertwined with mine as we walked. I looked over and saw how tense she was as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. I moved my arm so that it was around her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.

"Don't worry, I won't be drinking or anything tonight so I'll be making sure nothing happens," I said softly, loving the way she smiled just a little.

"You don't have to do that," she replied, leaning into me.

"I don't mind giving up drinking for a night so that you can relax and have some fun," I told her, watching as the others walked ahead of us. Trevor had come along because he was dating Dana and Courtney was ranting to Taylor about something. "Plus, I finally get to dance with you."

"Oh, that should be interesting," she laughed, smiling at the thought. We got to the pool and I could hear the music pounding already. It was almost 8:30 by now because Dana had taken forever to pick out a pair of shoes and everyone had been giving their opinion on the subject. Well, except for Max who had sat on the bed, laughing at us all as we made a mess of Dana's closet.

We walked in and Stella took jackets from whoever brought one and we walked in, getting a few stares every now and again. It had only been a day since Max and I had "gone public" so I didn't expect anyone to be used to it. Luckily, I had only gotten a couple comments and Max hadn't told me about anyone coming up to her or talking to her about it, which I guess was good. Courtney had really been the only one who had seemed to protest the relationship because she thought it made me look soft. But I was still the queen here, everyone knew that. So what if I was dating Max? That didn't mean that I was less influential than I had been before. If anything, it should make me more influential because I could connect with other cliques that I wouldn't have been able to talk to otherwise.

We got into the party and I relaxed a little as the music pounded around me. Parties were one of my happy places. They made me feel free.

"Do you want a drink?" I asked Max who was looking around nervously. She looked up at me and I kissed her softly. "It's ok, babe. You don't have to do anything you don't wanna do, but a drink might help you relax a little. Plus, I'm here and I'm sober, so I'll make sure nothing happens." She hesitated for a moment, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. She nodded after a moment and I took her hand, leading her to the bar. I ordered her a small glass of fireball, knowing that she would like the taste. It was mostly ice and a bit of peach tea so it wasn't super strong. I handed her the glass and she took it in a shaky hand.

"I can't believe you actually like things like this," she said, having to shout a little over the music. I laughed and shrugged.

"I honestly don't know why I like this kind of thing either," I replied, wrapping my arm around her shoulders as she took a sip of her drink, her eyes lighting up a little as she swallowed and coughed a little. I patted her back softly, watching her with concern. "Are you ok?" She gave me a nod, getting control of the coughing.

"Yeah," she replied, wiping her mouth. "This is really good, I just wasn't expecting it to taste so… so strong." I laughed a little and kissed the side of her head.

"You don't have to drink it," I told her. She shook her head and took another sip, looking a little more confident.

"No, no, I like it," she said with a laugh. "This stuff is really good. What is it?"

"Just fireball and peach tea," I replied, watching the people that were dancing. I wanted to dance, but I only really wanted to dance with Max. I turned to see Max down her drink and my eyes widened. "Holy shit, Max! Be careful, I don't want you to get hammered." She set the glass down and took a step so that she was standing right in front of me, holding her hand out to me.

"May I have this dance?" She asked, looking much more confident than she had been before. Well, they didn't call it liquid courage for nothing, but I assumed that she had used more of her own courage to ask me to dance than anything in that drink. I smiled and took her hand. She lead me out to where everyone was dancing and wrapped her arms around my neck, moving her hips back and forth to the beat of the music. She wasn't the best dancer, but she was better than I expected. I put my hands on her waist and moved my hips with hers, giggling a little at how much Max was smiling. She leaned up and kissed me, putting her whole body into moving with the music.

It was almost like in those movies where two people start dancing and sparks start flying between them. Yeah, kind of cheesy or whatever, but I just felt so intune to Max and her movements that I didn't hardly have to think. We just moved together, almost in perfect unison.

"I've always wanted to dance with you like this," I said, leaning down to her ear so I didn't have to shout. She smirked and turned herself around so that her back was against me. I felt my face get hot and my heart started racing. I could hardly believe that she was practically grinding herself against me, a wild look in her eyes as she reached back and let her fingers move through my hair and down my cheeks.

"Me too," she replied, moving away from me a little and facing me again. I couldn't help smiling. She was way better at this than she should be. Or maybe I was just blinded by how beautiful she looked with all of the lights flashing against her face and hair, making her look a little bit like a purple shadowed angel. I moved forward, pulling her close to me as we danced. We danced for a long time and I was sweating by the time we were done. Dancing was weird like that, it was so fun but also extremely exhausting when you realized how tired you actually were. Kind of like sex without the orgasm, I guess. I took my phone out of the pocket in my skirt and looked at the time to see that it was 10:25. I had planned the fireworks to go off at 11:30, but I had also needed to talk to Max a little before they went off.

"Hey, you wanna get out of here?" I asked her as she tried to catch her breath from all the dancing. She grinned at me and laughed a little.

"Yeah," she said, taking my hand and pressing herself against me, making heat rise in my stomach. She got on her toes and whispered in my ear. "That way you can give me that surprise and I can give you the present I made for you." I blushed, unable to stop myself from smiling. Her breath was hot and smelled sweet from the tea in her drink. I smirked and kissed her, pulling her against me with my hand on the small of her back.

"Shut up and follow me, hipster," I said with a grin and walked her out of the party. We walked towards the parking lot hand in hand. When we had almost reached my car, she stopped and tugged at my arm a little.

"Wait, I gotta get my guitar," she said and we walked to the dorms to grab it. We went to my car and hopped in, driving to a secluded spot on the beach. There were a couple of people partying near the parking lot, but the spot I had picked out was one that few people actually knew about and were allowed to go to because the Prescott's owned it. Nathan had brought me there a couple times so that we could talk in peace. When we got there, I set out a blanket that I'd brought along and pulled out a couple of snacks and some sodas. Nothing super fancy, just some stuff in case we got hungry or thirsty.

The spot I'd picked was between two big rock walls, one having an archway type of thing that acted as a natural entrance. We could clearly see the stars and the horizon from our little spot in the sand. It was really dark, but my eyes had adjusted to the lack of light so it wasn't hard to get a bearing on where I was. We sat down on the blanket and Max picked up her guitar, grinning at me.

"Oh god," I said with a nervous laugh. "You didn't write me a song, did you?" I asked, watching as Max adjusted herself, crossing her legs and putting her fingers on the strings of her guitar.

"Not exactly," she replied, starting to strum a familiar tune and I felt myself starting to blush. She started strumming faster and looked up at me with the biggest grin I'd ever seen.

"Oh, Vicky you're so fine, you're so fine, you blow my mind. Hey Vicky!" She sang loudly, laughing a little as she continued. I laughed so hard that it hurt, burying my face in my hands to hide my blush. When she finally stopped, we both laughed and she got closer to me, wrapping her arms around me. When we had gotten through the laughter, she smiled at me, her eyes bright.

"Did you like it?" She asked, giggling as I rolled my eyes. "What? I worked really hard on it, ok? But don't worry, I got you this just in case." I watched as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, gold chain with a locket on it. I looked up from the necklace to her face and felt tears welling up in my eyes. It was real gold. It must've cost more money than Max had ever spent all at once before. She held it out to me with a smile. "It's ok, take it." I reached out and she placed it in my hand. The locket was a small heart with swirls engraved on it. I opened it and saw that the inside had a space for a small picture but also had words engraved into it. It was only our initials, but it made me smile and I had to wipe my eyes before the tears escaped.

"Max, this is beautiful," I said softly, my voice shaking a little. She smiled at me and kissed me softly.

"Not as beautiful as you, though," she replied, giving me a smug look because she probably felt super smooth in that moment. I laughed and shook my head, kissing her again before handing her the necklace.

"Shut up and help me put it on," I replied. She took the necklace and brought it around my neck. I shivered a little when her fingers brushed over my skin. When she had gotten the necklace clipped, she kissed the back of my neck, sending a warmth into my stomach.

"I love you so much, Tori," Max whispered in my ear, placing tiny kisses against my exposed skin. I hummed softly, savoring the warmth of her lips.

"I love you too, Maxine," I replied, closing my eyes and tilting my head to allow her more access. She wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me close to her so that my back was against her. I had started losing my focus, forgetting about my plan. Max moved her hands under my shirt, her fingers making their way to my bra. I gasped softly as she pulled my bra down to expose my breasts. Then my plan came crashing back into my mind and I moved away from her, much to my displeasure. I fixed my bra and my shirt, turning to see Max with a frown on her face, her brows pressed together.

"Hey, I was kinda going somewhere with that," she said, looking indignant. I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I have to talk to you about something first," I replied, turning toward her completely and taking both her hands in mine. She had a more confused look on her face now as she looked into my eyes.

"Why so formal?" She asked, looking suspicious. I took a deep breath, trying to gather my courage.

"Max, I need to talk to you about something really important and kind of scary," I told her and her face went from suspicious to nervous.

"Yeah?" She asked, worrying her lip. My heart was racing in my chest. How was I supposed to do this? I just needed to say what I was feeling, that's all. She was Max, after all, she would understand. Wouldn't she?

"Well, we're going to be graduating soon and that means that I'm going back to Seattle for college," I began, looking away from her. I felt her grip on my hands tighten and it made me even more nervous. "And I really care about you, but I know that you're going to want to go off and do your own thing, probably." I paused, taking a deep breath. I looked up at her and she had tears in her eyes.

"Are… are you breaking up with me?" She asked, her voice shaking. My heart dropped and I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her close.

"No, no, no, Max, of course not," I tried to reassure her. "I was going to ask you if you wanted to come to Seattle with me. My parents already have plans to help me rent out an apartment and I was going to ask if you wanted to come and live with me and go to school in Seattle and everything." Max relaxed against me, sniffling a little.

"Really?" She asked shakily, holding me tight. I laughed softly and nodded, kissing her cheek.

"You really think I would break up with the most amazing girl in the world?" I asked, pulling away and wiping away a tear from her cheek. "You're one of the best things to ever happen to me, Max Caulfield. I'm not giving you up unless you want me to." She sniffled, smiling softly.

"Never," she said softly and pulled me in for a kiss. Right at that moment, fireworks went off in the distance. Max pulled away in surprise and looked at the multi colored sparks that flickered in the air, lighting up the beach around us. She started laughing and looked over at me. "Please tell me that wasn't you." I smirked and kissed her again.

"I thought you liked big gestures," I said with a smirk. She laughed and kissed me, laying us down on the blanket so that she was on top of me. That was one of the happiest moments of my life because it was the day I realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Maxine Caulfield, the polaroid loving hipster of Arcadia Bay. My polaroid loving hipster.


End file.
